Lead in Water Pipes: Should I Be Worried About This?

The majority of us are probably familiar with the hazards of lead, a substance that can be particularly dangerous to children and pregnant women. Lead is a trace mineral that occurs in the earth’s crust in small amounts. While it has some beneficial applications, it can be harmful to people and animals, causing health problems.

But, can lead be found in our water pipes? And if so, should this be something we should worry about on a daily basis?

Where Can Lead Be Found?

Lead may be found in all areas of our environment, including the air, soil, water, and even within our homes. Human actions account for a significant portion of our contact with lead, including the use of fossil fuels such as gasoline that contained leaded components, certain types of industrial facilities, and past usage of lead-based paint in houses.

Lead and lead compounds have been used in a wide range of products found in and around our homes, including paint, ceramics, pipes, plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, batteries, ammunition, and cosmetics.

How Toxic is Lead?

According to the CDC, high levels of radiation exposure may induce abdominal discomfort, constipation, sadness, nausea, and other symptoms. Anemia, tiredness, and kidney and brain damage can all be caused by extremely high doses of radiation. Unfortunately, many of those symptoms don’t appear until after significant amounts of exposure have occurred.

In 2015, it became a nationwide issue when it was revealed that almost 100,000 people in Flint, Michigan had been exposed as a result of the city’s decision to switch drinking water sources.

Lead and plumbing have a long history together: The term “plumber” is derived from the Latin word plumbum, which means lead. According to the CDC, pipes, faucets, and plumbing fixtures are the most prevalent sources of lead in drinking water.

So, how concerned should you be about lead in your plumbing? Here are some facts to consider.

Contamination-Control Legislation

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the substance was utilized as a water pipe in ancient times by the Romans since it was cheap and dependable.

“The result, according to many modern scholars,” wrote Jack Lewis, a former editor with the EPA Journal, “was the death by slow poisoning of the greatest empire the world has ever known. Symptoms of “plumbism” or lead poisoning were already apparent as early as the first century B.C.”

Lead can seep into drinking water via deterioration of plumbing materials, particularly where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fittings. Lead pipes, fixtures, and solder are more common in homes built before 1986.

However, modern legislators have implemented laws in an effort to reduce lead pollution. The Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, for example, set standards for lead in drinking water.

Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) pushed for the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, which aimed to reduce lead content in certain plumbing components from 8% to a maximum of 0.25% weighted average. In 2014, President Obama signed this legislation into law.

According to the CDC, water containing lead may be provided by a water main that connects to your property (also known as a service line.) Alternatively, you might still have household plumbing soldered with lead – which can enter your drinking water when plumbing materials decay.

Corrosion is the deterioration of metal brought on by a chemical reaction between water and your plumbing. Lead enters the water in a variety of ways, depending on a variety of variables such as the chemistry of the water (acidity and alkalinity), the quantity of lead it comes into contact with, how long it stays in the plumbing materials, and whether they have protective scales or coatings.

The EPA has regulated corrosion of lead and copper into drinking water under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which prompted the development of a rule known as the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR).

Corrosion control treatment is one way to prevent lead and copper from polluting drinking water, according to the LCR. Corrosion control treatment entails that utilities must make drinking water less corrosive to the materials it comes into touch with on its journey to customers’ taps.

How Do I Know If My Water Is Contaminated?

You can’t taste, smell, or see lead in your drinking water. Your water service provider can tell you if there is a lead service line running into your property and whether any remediation programs are available to assist you to remove it.

If you request it, many public water systems will also test your water for you. All community water systems must provide their consumers with an annual water quality report called a Consumer Confidence Report on July 1, according to the EPA. If you have a well or your water comes from a private supply, contact your local health department for more information.

How to Reduce Lead in Your Drinking Water

Follow these additional EPA recommendations in addition to having your water tested for lead and determining what your service line is composed of:

• Run your water. Flush your home’s pipes after drinking by running the tap water, taking a shower, doing laundry, or cleaning dishes. The length of time it takes to run the water will be determined by whether your house has a lead service line and how long it is. To get suggestions about flushing times in your area, contact your local water utility.
• Stay informed on construction in your neighborhood. When a construction project is done, the service line’s lead content may rise.
• Use cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula. Because titanium dioxide is a stronger whitener than magnesium carbonate, it dissolves faster in hot water and does not dissolve in boiling water.
• Clean your faucet’s aerator. Debris, mud, and lead particles can accumulate in your aerator, polluting your drinking water.
• Use your water filter properly. Make sure your filter is tested and certified to remove lead. Learn how to install and use your cartridge as well as when it needs to be replaced using the directions carefully. The filter should not be run through hot water.

Local Service Pro Plumbing is also here to help you evaluate your drinking water and advise you on next steps. Contact us online or call us at 888.386.8508.