Lead usually reaches drinking water when plumbing materials corrode. That includes service lines, pipes inside homes and other buildings, solder, fixtures, faucets and fittings. Over time, water can react chemically with plumbing that contains lead, and the metal dissolves into the water you drink. Homes built after 1989 were not permitted to use plumbing made with lead.
The service line is the pipe that runs from the water main to the plumbing inside a building. It may belong entirely to the water system or entirely to the property owner, or the two may each own part of it.
Several things affect how much lead ends up in drinking water, including:
- Water temperature
- How long water sits in the pipes
- How worn the pipes are
- How much lead the water touches
- The water's chemistry, including the kinds and amounts of minerals it carries
Today, plumbing products must be certified as "lead free" before they can be sold, and any new pipe or fixture that gets installed has to meet that standard.
Learn about steps to reduce lead in drinking water.
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