Is my main circuit panel grounded?

My house was built in the late 60's...one of hundreds in a subdivision built about 25 miles west of Chicago (Schaumburg), IL.

I'm doing some work in the garage (adding a 20a circuit and some outlets) and while looking in the breaker panel I see the neutral bus bar but do not see a grounding bus bar.

I'm a carpenter and when I look in the panels of the houses we build I see a heavy copper wire that is run to where the water lines are as a ground...my panel does not have this.

There doesn't appear to be any grounding in my panel, is this possible? Did they ground panels differently in the 60's or is my houses' electrical panel not grounded properly? My houses' wiring is run in rigid metal conduit (EMT?) not romex or greenfield.

Any ideas or opinions?

Thanks.

Tom

 

You dont really need a grounding bar in a main service entrance panel. The equipment grounds can attatch there, actually should. But there should also be a number 6 wire going t some kind of grounding electrode, be it a buried water line or grounding rods. From the neutral bar.