There are numerous ways children and adults can be exposed to lead. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that “the greatest exposure to lead is swallowing or breathing in lead paint chips or dust.” In fact, EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of lead exposure in young children may come from drinking water. Infants raised on mixed formula can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure from drinking water.
Besides drinking water, exposure to lead can come from:
- lead-based paint,
- lead in the air from industrial emissions,
- lead in soil from past emissions by automobiles using leaded gas, together with paint chips and lead paint dust,
- lead byproducts brought home by industrial workers on their clothes and shoes, and
- lead in consumer products and food, such as some imported candies, medicines, dishes, toys, jewelry, and plastics.
Sources of lead in drinking water
There is no lead in the water leaving the treatment plant. The water needs to sit in contact with lead plumbing materials for at least a few hours to dissolve into the water.
Lead service line
This is the pipe that brings water from the main into your home. In some older homes, these could be lead. Service line ownership is shared by the city and the property owner.
The city owns the portion from the main to the meter, including the meter. The homeowner is responsible for portion from the meter to the home, as well as all the plumbing in the home
Lead plumbing
The pipe material in some older homes may be lead.
Lead solder
This is the material used to connect household pipes to each other and in some repairs. Lead solder was used until 1987.
Brass plumbing fixtures
There is brass in almost all faucets, valves and fittings used in household plumbing. Until 2014, these materials could contain up to 8 percent lead and still be classified as “lead-free.”