How Can Lead Enter My Water Source?
Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode or rust. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Among homes without lead service lines, the most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder.
You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water. The best way to know your risk of exposure to lead in drinking water is to identify the potential sources of lead in your service line and household plumbing.
How Does Lead Impact My Health & the Health of My Family?
Because no safe blood level has been identified for young children, all sources of lead exposure for children should be controlled or eliminated. EPA has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is a toxic metal that is persistent in the environment and can accumulate in the body over time. Risk will vary depending on the individual, the chemical conditions of the water, and the amount consumed. For example, infants who drink formula prepared with lead-contaminated tap water may be at a higher risk of exposure because of the large volume of water they consume relative to their body size. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children because human skin does not absorb lead in water.
Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys and interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones, and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother's bones, which may affect brain development.
What Steps Can I Take If I've Been Exposed to Lead in My Water?
How Can I Learn More?
Visit the US Environmental Protection Agency’s website at www.epa.gov/lead; call the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-LEAD; or contact your health care provider.
For More Resources, Including How to Test Your Home's Water for Lead:
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water#reducehome
Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode or rust. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water. Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Among homes without lead service lines, the most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder.
You cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water. The best way to know your risk of exposure to lead in drinking water is to identify the potential sources of lead in your service line and household plumbing.
How Does Lead Impact My Health & the Health of My Family?
Because no safe blood level has been identified for young children, all sources of lead exposure for children should be controlled or eliminated. EPA has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is a toxic metal that is persistent in the environment and can accumulate in the body over time. Risk will vary depending on the individual, the chemical conditions of the water, and the amount consumed. For example, infants who drink formula prepared with lead-contaminated tap water may be at a higher risk of exposure because of the large volume of water they consume relative to their body size. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children because human skin does not absorb lead in water.
Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys and interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones, and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother's bones, which may affect brain development.
What Steps Can I Take If I've Been Exposed to Lead in My Water?
- Run your water to flush out lead. Run your tap water for 30 seconds, or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature, before using it for drinking or cooking, if the water hasn’t been used for several hours. This flushes stagnant lead-containing water from the plumbing supply pipes. Although toilet flushing or showering flushes water through a portion of your home or building’s plumbing system, you still need to flush water in each faucet before using it for drinking or cooking.
- Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Do not use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula.
- Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.
- Replace your plumbing fixtures if they are found to contain lead.
- Use bottled water or use a water filter. Be sure to maintain and replace a filter device in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to protect water quality. Any measure you take to reduce your exposure to lead should be continued until the lead source(s) has been minimized or eliminated.
How Can I Learn More?
Visit the US Environmental Protection Agency’s website at www.epa.gov/lead; call the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-LEAD; or contact your health care provider.
For More Resources, Including How to Test Your Home's Water for Lead:
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water#reducehome