High Level of Lead in Drinking Water
Sources, Health Effects and Treatment Options

What's the acceptable level of lead in drinking water?

In actuality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that zero is the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) when it comes to lead in drinking water. Higher levels than that have an associated risk potential. Instead of a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for lead, the EPA has a Treatment Technique that must be initiated when greater than 10% of tap water samples surpass the lead "action level" which is 15 parts per billion or 0.015 milligrams per liter of water.

What are the contributing lead sources in drinking water supplies?

Many people are often surprised to learn that their initial drinking water source is often lead-free as very little lead manages to make its way into groundwater or surface water. The highest potential sources of lead in your tap water actually come from:

• Lead water service pipelines that are corroding (such pipes connect the main water supply line to the building)
• Corroding lead water lines that serve as the building's plumbing
• Lead solder used to connect water pipes
• Brass and/or chrome-plated fittings on water pipes

What are the health effects of lead in drinking water?

Because lead doesn't have a distinctive taste or smell, many people don't even know that they have high lead levels in their environment until they start to exhibit certain physical and/or mental conditions that require them to be examined by a doctor. Children seem to suffer the most from the effects of lead. Some of the effects that might eventually be noticed include, but aren't limited to, the following:

• Flu-like symptoms including stomach cramps, constipation, and/or vomiting
• Fatigue
• Changes in healthy sleeping patterns
• Hearing problems
• Moodiness
• Delayed development, both mentally and physically
• Reduced attention spans and learning capabilities
• Low IQ's
• Kidney disorders and/or failure
• Increased blood pressure levels
• Strokes
• Cancer

Long-term exposure to high levels of lead can even result in severe organ damage, convulsions, coma, and eventually death. Obviously, the more lead-laden water a person consumes, the higher their health risks.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers are often warned about higher risk factors when it comes to lead in their tap water. They can pass the risk along to their unborn child or via breastfeeding. Babies who drink formula made from tap water that contains lead are at greater risk.

How do you treat lead if it's in your water source?

Many would recommend that you replace any lead-based plumbing within your home and/or business drinking water source, as well as the lead solder and lead-enriched fixtures. You should also work with your local water department to remove the lead service lines connecting your home and/or office to the main water supply pipe. As lead can dissolve if electric wires are attached in any manner to lead water lines, have an electrician inspect and relocate such wires.

In-home "quick fixes" would include the following:

• Allow your cold tap water to run for several minutes to rinse out any lead that has leached out while the water "sat idle" in the pipes.
• Use cold water for drinking and/or cooking purposes as hot water tends to intensify lead levels. If you need a small amount of hot water, boil cold water. Using hot water for showering, doing the dishes, laundry, etc is safe as lead isn't absorbed through the skin.
• Conduct a routine maintenance on your faucet strainers to remove concentrated lead particles.
• Consider using bottled water for cooking and drinking purposes.

If lead levels continue to test high and/or for an additional decrease in the lead in your drinking water, consider using one of the following water filtration methods:

• Reverse osmosis systems - Provides the highest quality level of lead reduction
• Distillation systems - Less expensive initially and potentially easier to install

While there's other potential lead water filtering methods available, such as carbon block filters, these methods are generally more limited in their overall efficiency. "Flushing" the pipes is still recommended even with a filtering device. Water softeners might also help in removing lead, but too much of a good thing can actually increase the leaching potential. Even with a water filtering system in place, continue to test the lead levels in your drinking source and maintain the filters as recommended by the manufacturer.