Lead & Copper in Drinking Water

How Lead Gets into Drinking Water

Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain lead corrode, especially where the water has high acidity or low mineral content that corrodes pipes and fixtures. The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures. In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water.  Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986.  Among homes without lead service lines, the most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) has reduced the maximum allowable lead content -- that is, content that is considered "lead-free" -- to be a weighted average of 0.25 percent calculated across the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures and 0.2 percent for solder and flux.

• Learn more about the maximum allowable content of lead in pipes, solder, fittings and fixtures
• Learn more about EPA's regulations to prevent lead in drinking water
• Learn how to Identify Lead Free Certification Marks for Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux Used for Drinking Water
• Find existing outreach materials regarding lead and drinking water
• Learn about Lead Service Line Replacement Accelerators
• Learn about the Get the Lead Out (GLO) Initiative

Corrosion is a dissolving or wearing away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and your plumbing. A number of factors are involved in the extent to which lead enters the water, including:

• the chemistry of the water (acidity and alkalinity) and the types and amounts of minerals in the water,
• the amount of lead it comes into contact with,
• the temperature of the water,
• the amount of wear in the pipes,
• how long the water stays in pipes, and
• the presence of protective scales or coatings inside the plumbing materials.

To address corrosion of lead and copper into drinking water, EPA issued the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) under the authority of the SDWA. One requirement of the LCR is corrosion control treatment to prevent lead and copper from contaminating drinking water. Corrosion control treatment means utilities must make drinking water less corrosive to the materials it comes into contact with on its way to consumers' taps. Learn more about EPA's regulations to prevent lead in drinking water.

Health Effects of Exposures to Lead in Drinking Water*

*The health effects information on this page is not intended to catalog all possible health effects for lead. Rather, it is intended to let you know about the most significant and probable health effects associated with lead in drinking water.

Is there a safe level of lead in drinking water?

The Safe Drinking Water Act requires EPA to determine the level of contaminants in drinking water at which no adverse health effects are likely to occur with an adequate margin of safety. These non-enforceable health goals, based solely on possible health risks, are called maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs). EPA has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is persistent, and it can bioaccumulate in the body over time.

Young children, infants, and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to lead because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child. In children, low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that public health actions be initiated when the level of lead in a child’s blood is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or more.

It is important to recognize all the ways a child can be exposed to lead. Children are exposed to lead in paint, dust, soil, air, and food, as well as drinking water. If the level of lead in a child's blood is at or above the CDC action level of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, it may be due to lead exposures from a combination of sources. EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20 percent or more of a person’s total exposure to lead. Infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive 40 percent to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from drinking water.

Children

Even low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in:

• Behavior and learning problems
• Lower IQ and hyperactivity
• Slowed growth
• Hearing problems
• Anemia

In rare cases, ingestion of lead can cause seizures, coma and even death.

Pregnant Women

Lead can accumulate in our bodies over time, where it is stored in bones along with calcium. During pregnancy, lead is released from bones as maternal calcium and is used to help form the bones of the fetus. This is particularly true if a woman does not have enough dietary calcium. Lead can also cross the placental barrier exposing the fetus to lead. This can result in serious effects to the mother and her developing fetus, including:

• Reduced growth of the fetus
• Premature birth

Find out more about lead's effects on pregnancy:

• Effects of Workplace Hazards on Female Reproductive Health (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

Lead can also be transmitted through breast milk. Read more on Lead and Breastfeeding.

Adults

Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults exposed to lead can suffer from:

• Cardiovascular effects, increased blood pressure and incidence of hypertension
• Decreased kidney function
• Reproductive problems (in both men and women)

Related Information

• Learn more about lead and its health effects

Can I shower in lead-contaminated water?

Yes. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level. Human skin does not absorb lead in water.

This information applies to most situations and to a large majority of the population, but individual circumstances may vary. Some situations, such as cases involving highly corrosive water, may require additional recommendations or more stringent actions. Your local water utility is always your first source for testing and identifying lead contamination in your tap water. Many water utilities have websites that include data on drinking water quality, including results of lead testing. Links to such data can be found on the EPA Consumer Confidence Report website.

For more information, see CDC's "Sources of Lead: Water" Web page.

Find Out if Lead is in Your Drinking Water

First, learn more about the water coming into your home

EPA requires all community water systems to prepare and deliver an annual water quality report called a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for their customers by July 1 of each year. Contact your water utility if you'd like to receive a copy of their latest report. If your water comes from a household well or other private water supply, check with your local health department, or with any nearby water utilities that use ground water, for information on contaminants of concern in your area.

• Find your local Consumer Confidence Report
• Information about CCRs for consumers
• EPA's CCR home page
• Learn more about protecting water quality from private drinking water wells
• Printable color fact sheet: Is There Lead in My Drinking Water?

EPA's Public Notification Rule requires public water systems to alert you if there is a problem with your drinking water.

• Learn more about the Public Notification Rule

Second, you can have your water tested for lead

Homes may have internal plumbing materials containing lead. Since you cannot see, taste, or smell lead dissolved in water, testing is the only sure way of telling whether there are harmful quantities of lead in your drinking water. A list of certified laboratories are available from your state or local drinking water authority. Testing costs between $20 and $100. Contact your water utility as they may have useful information, including whether the service line used in your home is made of lead.

You can learn on EPA’s Protect Your Family from Exposures to Lead web page:

• when you may want to test your drinking water; and
• what to do if your home tests positive for lead.

You can also view and print a fact sheet on testing your home's drinking water.

Important Steps You Can Take to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water

Below are recommended actions that a person may take, separately or in combination, if they are concerned about lead in their drinking water.  The list is not intended to be exhaustive or to imply that all actions equally reduce lead from drinking water.  You should also contact your local water system and the Office of Drinking Water.

• Use your filter properly.  Using a filter can reduce lead in drinking water. If you use a filter, make sure you use a filter certified to remove lead. Read the directions to learn how to properly install and use your cartridge and when to replace it. Using the cartridge after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead. Do not run hot water through the filter.
• Clean your aerator. Regularly clean your faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator). Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator. If lead particles are caught in the aerator, lead can get into your water.
• Use cold water. Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula. Remember, boiling water does not remove lead from water.
• Run your water. The more time water has been sitting in pipes, the more lead it may contain. Before drinking, flush your home’s pipes by running the tap, taking a shower, doing laundry, or doing a load of dishes. The amount of time to run the water will depend on whether your home has a lead service line or not, and the length of the lead service line. Residents should contact their water utility for recommendations about flushing times in their community.
• Learn if you have a lead service line. Find out if the pipe that connects your home to the water main (called a service line) is made from lead.  Ask your water utility or if your utility doesn't have information a licensed plumber may be able to assist. Protect Your Tap: A quick check for lead is EPA's step by step guide to learn how to find lead pipes in your home.
• Learn about construction in your neighborhood.  If you have a lead service line, you should be aware of any nearby construction or maintenance work that could disturb the line. Vibrations from construction may suddenly cause more lead to be released from a lead service lines in the area.
• Have your water tested. Contact your water utility to have your water tested and to learn more about the lead levels in your drinking water.

Learn more by reviewing EPA's Lead in Drinking Water Infographic.

Related Information

• Fact sheet:  How to Identify Lead Free Certification Marks for Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux Used for Drinking Water
• Consumer Tool for Identifying Point-of-Use and Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water
• How to make your home lead-safe
• What you can do to protect your drinking water

Find out if you have lead pipes in your home with the Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead guide

Protect Your Tap: A quick check for lead is an on-line step by step guide to learn how to find lead pipes, called service lines, in your home. It also provides tips about reducing exposure to lead in drinking water and how to get your water tested for lead and resources to learn more.

You can learn about how this guide was developed and toolkits for sharing with others on the Protect Your Tap outreach page.

Tool kits for different sectors with resources to create your own campaign to get others to use Protect Your Tap:

Community Groups

Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead is for housing authorities and community organizations to help residents learn more about lead in drinking water. While providing safe affordable housing is a critical need, lead in drinking water can sometimes be overlooked.

Government

Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead is intended for use by state and municipal government officials such as water superintendents, public health officers, and building inspectors to help residents learn more about lead in drinking water.

Health

Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead is for doctors, school nurses, and community health providers to help patients learn more about lead in drinking water. Protecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to have harmful, irreversible effects. Children six years old and younger are most susceptible to the effects of lead.

Utilities

Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead is for water utility companies to help customers learn more about lead in drinking water.

Get Your Child Tested to Determine Lead Levels in His or Her Blood

A family doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide information about the health effects of lead. Your local health department can also provide information about how you can have your child's blood tested for lead. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that public health actions be initiated when the level of lead in a child’s blood is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or more.

Find Out if Lead in Drinking Water is an Issue in Your Child's School or Child Care Facility

Children spend a significant part of their days at school or in a child care facility. The faucets that provide water used for consumption, including drinking, cooking lunch, and preparing juice and infant formula, should be tested.

• Protect your children from lead where they learn and play: learn how to test your child, and how to check the condition of schools and child care facilities
• How schools and child care centers can test for lead in drinking water