New website tells you whether your Chicago home has lead pipes

Chicago launched a website last month that tells residents whether their homes are probably hooked up to a water main via lead pipes.

Why it matters: These lines can leach toxic lead into drinking water, and health authorities say no amount of ingested lead is safe.

The big picture: The water department estimates 400,000 Chicago homes have lead service lines, which were required by the Chicago building code until 1986.

• The city has about 50 years to remove all toxic pipes.

How it works: Residents can find the information about their home pipes here by reading and agreeing to two documents and then typing in a water bill number or address.

Our results: The site says Monica's home pipes do use "suspected lead" but that Carrie's home pipes do not.

• Monica lives in an old building, and Carrie lives in a relatively new one.

Be smart: The site offers tips for reducing lead in home drinking water, including flushing taps in the morning, cleaning aerators and filtering water.