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Lead in Drinking Water

How Lead Gets Into Water

Lead in drinking water most often comes from water distribution lines or household plumbing rather than from the water system source.  Lead from other sources can add to the effects of lead in water.

Health Issues

Because the nervous and circulatory systems in young children are not fully developed, lead and other toxic substances can easily enter the brain.  Long-term exposure to even low levels of lead can cause irreversible learning difficulties, mental retardation, and delayed neurological and physical development.  Infants and children up to six years old are most susceptible to these toxic effects.  Pregnant women who have been exposed to lead can pass the effects to their unborn child.  Exposure for adults primarily affects the peripheral nervous system and can cause impairment of hearing, vision, and muscle coordination.  Lead is also toxic to the blood, kidney, heart, and reproductive system.

Lead poisoning is a particular problem because there may be no unique signs or symptoms associated with lead exposure.  Early symptoms of lead poisoning may include loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability, anemia and, sometimes, abdominal pain.  Because of the general nature of symptoms at this stage, lead poisoning is often not suspected.

Measuring Lead In Drinking Water

Lead may be present in your home drinking water if:

•          There are lead pipes, brass fixtures, or lead connectors in your home or community water system.

•          Lead solder was used on your home water pipes.

•          You have soft water (low mineral content), or acidic water.

The only way to know the amount of lead in your household water is to have your water tested by a certified laboratory.  The cost of lead testing ranges from $20-40 per sample.  For the name of a certified drinking water laboratory, call the Office of Drinking Water at 1-800-521-0323.      

Reducing Exposure To Lead

Ways to reduce lead in home drinking water:

•          If water has not been used in a particular faucet for six hours or longer, run the cold water tap until the water is noticeably colder -- about one minute -- to “flush” the pipes.  The more time water has been sitting in your home’s pipes, the more lead and other dissolved metals the water may contain.

•          Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula.  Hot water may contain higher levels of lead.

•          Frequently clean the screens and aerators in faucets to remove captured lead particles.

•          If building or remodeling, only use “lead free” piping and materials for plumbing.

Drinking Water Regulations

•          Routine monitoring from some homes within the distribution system.

•          Treating source water when 10 percent of samples collected exceed the action level (0.015 parts per million).

•          Annual public education to all consumers when lead action level is exceeded.

For More Information

Washington State Department of Health (DOH):

Drinking Water Southwest Regional Office: 360-236-3030

Drinking Water Northwest Regional Office: 253-395-6750

Drinking Water Eastern Regional Office:     509-456-3115

General Information: 1-800-521-0323

DOH Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program: 1-800-909-9898

March, 2006
DOH PUB. #331-177

More Information

Dept. of Health Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

School lead testing results from 2005 grant program (PDF 156KB)

Lead in School Drinking Water (PDF 70KB)

Testing for lead in School Drinking Water (PDF 811KB)

Lead and Copper Monitoring Guidance (PDF 52 KB)

List of Labs Accredited to Conduct Drinking Water Lead Analysis (DOC 43 KB)

Lead and Copper Sampling Procedure (PDF 117 KB)

Lead and Your Kids: A Parent's Guide

More publications are available through our on-line publication catalog

Links:

Drinking Water in schools and child care facilities (Guidance and Tools (EPA Web Site)

Dept. of Ecology Web Site
 

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Last Update : 05/21/2009 06:23 PM