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V.A. Compliance Officer for the State of Connecticut
Lead
Introduction
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is concerned about lead in drinking water. Although most homes have very low levels of lead in their drinking water, some homes have levels greater than the USEPA maximum limit of 15 parts per billion (ppb) or 0.015 milligrams of lead per liter of water (mg/L). Since you cannot see, taste or smell lead dissolved in water, testing is the only sure way of knowing if there are harmful amounts in your drinking water.
Health Effects of Lead
Although it has been used in numerous consumer products, lead is a toxic metal now known to be harmful to human health if too much of it enters the body. Lead may build up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the red blood cells, kidneys, brain and nervous system.
The greatest risk is to young children, infants and fetuses. Growing children will more rapidly absorb any lead they consume. Also, amounts of lead that won’t harm adults can slow down normal mental and physical development of growing bodies. Of particular concern are formula fed infants whose diet consists largely or entirely of fluids prepared with drinking water.
Sources of Lead in Water
Lead seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like rivers and lakes. Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of the corrosion, or wearing away, of materials containing lead in water distribution systems and household plumbing. These materials include lead pipes, lead-based solder used to join copper pipes and brass or chrome-plated brass faucets.
When water stands several hours in plumbing systems containing lead, the lead may dissolve in the water. This means that the first water drawn from the top after several hours of inactivity can contain dangerously high levels of lead.
In 1986, Congress banned the use of solder containing greater than 0.2% lead, and restricted the lead content of faucets, pipes and other plumbing materials to 8.0%. Despite these restrictions, many houses, old and new, still have elevated levels of lead contamination in their water systems.
Problems are most likely to exist in newer plumbing systems that have not yet built up an inner coating of mineral deposits, or in older homes where corrosive water prevents the formation of deposits. Without this mineral coating, water is in direct contact with any exposed lead bearing surfaces.
