Medical disclaimer: Lead exposure is a serious health concern, especially for children under six. If you suspect high lead exposure, contact your child’s pediatrician for blood lead testing. This page provides general information, not medical advice.
Lead contamination made national headlines with the Flint, Michigan crisis in 2014. But Flint wasn’t unique. According to a 2021 report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, roughly 6 to 10 million lead service lines still connect homes to city water mains across the US.
The problem is widespread. And it’s largely invisible.
Why Lead Enters Water at the Tap, Not the Plant
Treatment plants do test for lead in their source water, and most surface water and groundwater contains only trace amounts naturally. The issue is what happens between the plant and your faucet.
Lead leaches into water from:
Lead service lines. The pipes connecting the water main under the street to your home’s plumbing. Millions remain in use, particularly in homes built before 1940 in midwestern and northeastern cities. Chicago alone has an estimated 400,000 lead service lines.
Lead-tin solder. Plumbers used lead-tin solder to join copper pipes until Congress banned it in 1986 with the Safe Drinking Water Act amendments. Any home built before 1986 — and many built through the early 1990s with old stock — may have lead solder at pipe joints.
Brass fixtures. Faucets, valves, and fixtures labeled “lead-free” can still contain up to 0.25% lead under current law. Older “lead-free” products made before 2014 could contain up to 8% lead. Brass components leach lead into water, especially in hot water lines.
Lead in water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. You can’t detect it without testing.
Who Is at Highest Risk
Children under six and pregnant people face the greatest health risk from lead exposure. Lead is a neurotoxin. The CDC’s reference level is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter of blood. There is no confirmed safe blood lead level for children — the 3.5 mcg/dL threshold is used to identify children for intervention, not to define a safe limit.
Older homes, lower-income neighborhoods, and cities with aging infrastructure have the highest rates of lead service lines. A 2022 study in Environmental Health Perspectives found that Black, Hispanic, and low-income households were disproportionately served by lead service lines.
Testing Your Water
The EPA recommends a “first draw” sample for the most conservative lead estimate. Here’s the procedure:
- Don’t run any water in your home for at least 6 hours before sampling.
- Remove the faucet aerator and set it aside.
- Collect the first 250 mL that comes out — this is the water that sat in your service line and internal plumbing overnight.
- Submit to a certified lab.
If you rent, your landlord may be required to provide lead test results under local housing codes. Check your city’s requirements.
What to Do If You Have Lead
Short term: Run the cold water for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before drinking or cooking. This flushes the standing water from pipes. Don’t use hot water from the tap for cooking or formula — hot water leaches more lead than cold.
Medium term: Install a point-of-use filter. A reverse osmosis system or a certified NSF 53 solid carbon block filter at your kitchen tap will reduce lead at that point. Filters only treat what passes through them — they don’t fix the pipe.
Long term: Lead service line replacement is the only permanent fix. Many cities now have lead service line replacement programs. Contact your utility to find out if your address has a lead service line. Some utilities replace them for free.
For filter options: Best Under-Sink RO Systems
Medical disclaimer: WaterAnswer.com provides general information only. Lead health concerns, especially for children, warrant consultation with a pediatrician or healthcare provider.