| Lead is a hazardous contaminant found in water. This
article discusses where it comes from and how only water testing
can tell you if lead is in your water. Once water testing
tells you the level of lead in your water, you can install
the right water filter to remove it.
Tap water all over the country is showing up with toxic levels
of lead contamination ... and it’s not going to go away on
its own--or anytime soon. Here are a few stories reported
in early 2004:
• SEATTLE, WA: In February, the city of Seattle began replacing
the pipes in a number of its public schools. When parents
had complained about orange-colored water coming out of school
taps, testing was conducted and dangerous levels of lead and
even cadmium were found in the drinking water.
• WASHINGTON D.C.: According to a February article in the
Washington Post, about 23,000 of Washington D.C.’s service
lines contain dangerous levels of lead. Samples taken at more
than 4,000 homes since 2002 have found levels well above the
safe range of 15 parts per billion. In fact, 150 homes in
the area had lead levels in their tap water in excess of 300
parts per billion.
• MAUI, HAWAII: Even in beautiful Maui, high levels of lead
were found in the water during testing. The state health department
ordered the Maui water company to fix the problem, which they
attempted to do by adding the chemicals zinc orthophosphate
and phosphoric acid. Today, hundreds of skin rash complaints,
which are believed to be linked to the water system, are being
received by the health department.
These are just a few of the problems we know about. Lead and
other metals commonly found in plumbing systems are a very
real and dangerous problem that we face at work, at school
and in the safety of our own homes.
Most lead contamination occurs within a home’s own water pipes.
The older the home, the older the pipes. The older the pipes,
the greater the chance that the metals found in pipe systems--namely
lead, copper, zinc and iron--can leach into your water supply.
In homes built before 1930, water pipes were often made of
lead. Homes built up until the mid-1990s may have plumbing
systems connected with lead welding compound. The manufacture
of lead-based materials was banned back in 1986, but could
have been used for years after that, until the inventory ran
out.
Your tap water’s pH can contribute to tap water contamination.
The pH determines the acidity of your water. The optimum pH
level is between 6.5 and 8.5. Tap water with a low pH indicates
acidic water, which can result in corrosion and leaching of
pipe material.
How to Protect Yourself Against Lead & Other Metal
Poisoning
1. Flush Your Tap: Always run your tap water for a minute
or two, until it is colder to the touch. This flushes out
the water that is sitting in the pipes within your home.
2. Use Only Cold Water for Cooking & Drinking: Hot water
dissolves lead faster than cold. Use only cold water to drink,
cook, brush teeth, mix juices, wash food, and to make baby
bottles, coffee or tea. If you need hot water, start with
cold water and either boil it or heat it on the stove.
3. Test Your Tap Water Regularly: You are unable to detect
even dangerous levels of lead and other metals in your tap
water without testing. Relying on your sense of taste, smell
and sight is like playing Russian roulette with your health.
Conduct at least a basic test of your tap water at least one
a year.
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