How to Reduce Lead Contamination in Drinking Water

What to do about lead in drinking water - Drinking water as a lead poisoning source
LEAD IN DRINKING WATER, HOW to REDUCE
Questions & Answers about how to get rid of lead contamination in drinkning water
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How to reduce the levels of lead in drinking water: this article explains simple steps you can take to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water; new EPA Standard for lead and copper in drinking water, and requirements placed on community water suppliers. Links to Lead Testing Services are also provided.

What to Do About Lead in Drinking Water

You can spot the lead water supply piping in our photo at left. The right-hand lead water pipe is thicker than the copper water pipe in left side of the photo, and you can see the lead pipe wipe joint as well. More photos of lead water supply (and drain) piping are at LEAD PIPES in BUILDINGS.

Just how serious is lead contamination in private or public water supplies? It depends in part on where you live. In June 2010 the New York Times, citing Reuters reported:

Health workers have set up emergency treatment centers in northern Nigeria for scores of children suffering from lead poisoning and are racing to contain contamination that has already killed more than 160 people.

High levels of lead have contaminated water supplies in at least six villages in Zamfara State, close to where residents were illegally mining for gold. More than 350 cases have been reported over the past few months, and 111 of the dead are children, many younger than 5. The Dutch arm of Doctors Without Borders has brought in drugs to treat villagers found to have high levels of lead in their blood.

Lead Hazard Warning: consumption or absorption of lead into the human body is hazardous, particularly for children but in fact for anyone. [1] & [3-21]. And at least one correspondent has expressed the view that there is no level of lead exposure for which they have not found an adverse effect. [22] Related Articles on lead hazards are shown at the top of this article and citations of authorities on lead hazards, testing, and remediation are at References.

In the U.S. lead levels in public water supplies has been dropping since passage of the 1974-2004 Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, and public water supplies are much less likely to be a lead hazard source. But in-building sources of lead in water may remain.

In November 2010 the New York Times reported that in 2009 only 5.4% of samples had elevated lead, but in 2010 tests of 222 water samples found lead from 16-30 ppb in 14% of the samples. Although at these low levels the city did not consider the lead a clear health hazard, the city advised residents to run water for "at least 30 seconds" before drinking or cooking with it. A similar advisory was issued in 2005.

Watch out: the length of time needed to run water to flush out high-lead-level water that has been sitting in piping overnight depends on the total length of pipe between your tap and the street as well as use by other building occupants. If you run water at a tap until it is cold you have most likely successfully flushed the lines. This same principle applies to private residences.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various U.S. municipal water suppliers are concerned about lead in drinking water. As late as 1961 major cities such as New York were still installing lead water mains piping.

In 1992, as a result of legislation written in Congress (the U.S. Federal Safe Drinking Water Act), a new US EPA standard for lead and copper became effective. This standard is intended to help communities around the nation reduce their exposure to lead/copper in drinking water, and there by, lower their exposure to lead/copper from all sources, including air, lead based paint, soil and dust. Lead paint is the main source of lead poisoning; however, lead contamination from water can contribute 10 to 20 percent of a person's exposure.

In 1992, more than 60,000 public water suppliers throughout the U.S. tested various homes they served for lead/copper at household taps.

In-building sources of lead in water: Although water supplied from your water treatment plant may be free from lead or copper*, contamination from your piping system may cause lead/copper to dissolve (leach) into your water supply if:

You have a lead service line connecting your home to the water main in the street; and/or
Your home has lead water supply pipes; and/or
You have lead containing soldered joints in your copper supply pipes (installed from 1983-86); and/or
You have plumbing fixtures containing lead.
Your building has brass water supply pipes - some brass contains lead
In rare cases some lead leaching may take place from piping in the street if it is a low flow area, i.e.; dead end streets.

EPA Lead limit: Although most homes have very low levels of lead in their drinking water, some homes in some communities have lead levels above the EPA action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb), or 0.015 milligrams of lead per liter of water (mgL).

Under Federal Law water suppliers are required to have a program in place to minimize lead in drinking water by January 1, 1996. This program includes corrosion control treatment, source water treatment, and public education. We are also required to replace each lead service line that we control if the line contributes to lead concentrations of 15 ppb or more after we have completed the comprehensive treatment program. If you have any questions about how the requirements of the lead regulations are being carried out, call your local water department or health department.

A Brief History of Lead Exposure Level Standards

Gilbert & Weiss cite the history of the U.S. CDC's position on the acceptable levels of lead in children's blood levels as we summarize below:[23]

Acceptable Childhood Blood Levels - U.S. CDC & Other Agencies
Year Published & Agency	Blood Level in ug/dl
U.S. CDC - 1960	60
U.S. CDC - 1973	40
U.S. CDC - 1975	30
U.S. CDC - 1985	25
WHO - 1986	20
U.S. EPA - 1986	15
U.S. CDC - 1990-1991	10
U.S. CDC - 2006 ??

Notes: 1. ug/dl = micrograms of lead per decaliter of blood 2. OPINION: in general authorities argue that there is no level below which it can be demonstrated that lead exposure is not hazardous. [23] 3. Table quoted from Steven G. Gilbert & Bernard Weiss, "A rationale for lowering the blood lead action level from 10 to 2 μg/dL", NeuroToxicology, Volume 27, Issue 5, September 2006 [23]

Health Effects of Lead Poisoning and Lead in Drinking Water

Lead is a common, natural, and often useful metal found throughout the environment in lead-based paint. air, soil, household dust, food, certain types of pottery porcelain pewter, and water.

Lead can pose a significant risk to your health if too much of it enters your body. Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells, and kidneys. The greatest risk is to young children and pregnant women. Amounts of lead that won't hurt adults can slow down normal mental and physical development of growing bodies. In addition, a child at play often comes into contact with sources of lead contamination - like dirt and dust - that rarely affect an adult. It is important to wash children's hands and toys often, and to try to make sure they only put food in their mouths.

Lead in Drinking Water as a source of lead poisoning

Lead in drinking water, although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person's total lead exposure, particularly the exposure of infants who drink baby formulas and concentrated juices that are mixed with water. The EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20 percent or more of a person's total exposure to lead.
Lead is unusual among drinking water contaminants in that it seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like rivers and lakes. Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of the corrosion, or wearing away, of materials containing lead in the water distribution system and household plumbing. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass and chrome plated brass faucets, and in some cases, pipes made of lead that connect your house to the water main (service lines).

In 1986, Congress banned the use of lead solder containing greater than 0.2% lead and restricted the lead content of faucets, pipes; and other plumbing materials to 8.0%.
When water stands in lead pipes or plumbing systems containing lead for several hours or more, the lead may dissolve into your drinking water. This means the first water drawn from the tap in the morning or later in the afternoon after returning from work or school can contain fairly high levels of lead.

Steps You Can Take in the Home to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water

Who is Responsible for Making Drinking Water Safe?

The answer depends on the answer to "Is My Water Supply Public (regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act) or Private (responsibility of the homeowner)?"

Definition of a public water system (PWSs): a public water supply system, or "community water supply" or "municipal water supply" is one that has at least 15 service connections or serves at least 25 people per day for 60 days (or more) during the year. Any such system is defined as a "community water system" or in our words, a public water supply and is regulated by federal law. The community government, typically its water department and health departments are responsible for compliance with federal law regulating safe drinking water, including both regular testing and if necessary, treatment of the water supply. The type of water treatment required depends on the water source and water quality.

Occupants of homes served by municipal water supply in the U.S. are receiving water that is required by law to be regular tested for a number of contaminants, including lead. But even if the supplied water and its delivery system are acceptable, in-building piping can be a source of lead contamination, especially for buildings whose piping contain lead or lead solder.

Some cities such as New York City include phosphoric acid to the water supply to help form an oxide coating inside piping to reduce the rate of lead flowing through piping. But water sitting in piping during times of little or no use may still absorb some lead if it's present in the system.

Definition of a non-community or private water system: a private water supply system is smaller in size than the definition above, or serves people for less than 60 days per year. The owners of a private water supply system are responsible for assuring that the water provided by that system is safe to drink. While private water supply systems may not be regulated by federal law, local village, town, state, or county health departments and regulations may indeed apply and may set standards for acceptable drinking water for private wells in their community.

The EPA defines two types of non-community water supply systems: (Quoting from the EPA's Drinking Water Treatment)

Non-Transient Non-Community Water System (there are approximately 20,000) - A noncommunity water system that serves the same people more than six months per year, but not year-round, for example, a school with its own water supply is considered a non-transient system.
Transient non-community water system (there are approximately 89,000) - A non-community water system that serves the public but not the same individuals for more than six months, for example, a rest area or campground may be considered a transient water system.

Owners of private wells (serving less than 15 connections or 25 people) are responsible for assuring that their well water is safe. The EPA Recommends (Drinking Water Standards):

People with private wells are responsible f or making sure that their own drinking water is safe. Some states do set standards for private w ells, so well owners should c heck their state requirements. U S EPA recommends testing your water once per year to see if it meets federal and state standards. Call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426- 4791 or see the US EPA Safewater home page at www.epa.gov/safewater/privatewells to find out how to get a list of certified testing labs in your state.

List of Steps to Take to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water

Test your water supply: Despite our [the local municipal water authority] best efforts mentioned earlier to control water corrosivity and remove lead from the water supply, lead levels in some homes or buildings can be high. To find out whether you need to take action in your own home, have your drinking water tested to determine if it contains excessive concentrations of lead. Testing the water is essential because you cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water.

Some local water test laboratories that can provide this information. For more information on having your water tested, please call your health department or water department. Some cities may offer free lead tests. New York City residents can take advantage of a free lead-in-water test kit. See http://nyc.gov/html/dep/html/drinking_water/lead_test_kit.shtml or in New York Cit call 311 to ask for a free lead testing kit.
Lead in water action level: If a water test indicates that the drinking water drawn from a tap in your home contains lead above 15 ppb, then you should take the following precautions:
1. Flush in-building water supply pipes: Let the water run from the tap before using it for drinking or cooking any time the water in a faucet has gone unused for more than six hours. The longer water resides in your home's plumbing the more lead it may contain. Flushing the tap means running the cold water faucet until the water gets noticeably colder, usually about 15-30 seconds.
  
  If your house has a lead service line to the water main, you may have to flush the water for a longer time, perhaps one minute before drinking. Although toilet flushing or showering flushes water through a portion of your home's plumbing system, you still need to flush the water in each faucet before using it for drinking or cooking.
  
  Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive measure you can take to protect your family's health. It usually uses less than one or two gallons of water and costs less than .42 cents per month. To conserve water, fill a couple of bottles for drinking water after flushing the tap, and whenever possible use the first-flush water to wash the dishes or water the plants.
  
  If you live in a high-rise building, letting the water flow before using it may not work to lessen your risk from lead. The plumbing systems have more and sometimes larger pipes than smaller buildings. Ask your landlord for help in locating the source of the lead and for advice on reducing the lead level.
2. Use cold-water tap for cooking water: Try not to cook with or drink water from the hot water tap. Hot water can dissolve more lead more quickly than cold water. If you need hot water, draw water from the cold tap and heat it on the stove.
3. Remove loose lead solder and debris from the plumbing materials installed in newly constructed homes or homes in which the plumbing has recently been replaced by removing the faucet strainers from all taps and running the water for 3 to 5 minutes. thereafter, periodically remove the strainers arid flush out any debris that has accumulated over time.
4. Check for legal plumbing work: If your copper pipes are joined with lead solder that has been installed illegally since it was banned in 1986, notify the plumber who did the work and request that he or she replace the lead solder with lead-free solder. Lead solder looks dull gray, and when scratched with a key looks shiny. In addition, notify your health department about the violation.
5. Check type of piping used to connect to water main: Determine whether or not the service line that connects your home or apartment to the water line is made of lead. The best way to determine if your service line is made of lead is by either hiring a licensed plumber, or a private home inspector or building inspector to inspect the line or by contacting the plumbing contractor who installed the line.
  
  You can identify the plumbing contractor by checking the city's record of building permits, which should he maintained in the files of the City of Poughkeepsie Building Department. A licensed plumber can at the same time check to see if your home's plumbing contains lead solder, lead pipes, or pipe fittings that contain lead.
  
  The public water system that delivers water to your home should also maintain records of the materials located in the distribution system.
  
  If the service line that connects your dwelling to the water main contributes more than 15 ppb to drinking water, after the (possibly) required comprehensive treatment program is in place, the municipality is required to replace the line.
  
  If the line is only partially controlled by the municipality, they are required to provide you with information on how to replace your portion of the service line, and offer to replace that portion of the line at your expense and take a follow-up tap water sample within 14 days of the replacement. Acceptable replacement alternatives include copper, steel, iron, and plastic pipes.
6. Check electrical wiring & grounding: Have an electrician check your wiring. If grounded wires from the electrical system are attached to your pipes, corrosion may be greater. Check with a licensed electrician or your local electrical code to determine if your wiring can be grounded elsewhere. DO NOT attempt to change the wiring yourself, because improper grounding can cause electrical shock and fire hazards.
Check lead level after taking steps above: The steps described above will reduce the lead concentrations in your drinking water. However, if a water test indicates that the drinking water coming from your tap contains lead concentration in excess of 15 ppb after flushing or after we have completed our actions to minimize lead levels, then you may want to take the following additional measures:
1. Purchase or lease a home water treatment device. Home treatment devices are limited in that each unit treats only the water that flows from the faucet to which it is connected, and all of the devices require periodic maintenance and replacement. Devices such as reverse osmosis systems or distillers can effectively remove lead from your drinking water. Some activated carbon filters may reduce lead levels at the tap, however, all lead reduction claims should he investigated. Be sure to check the actual performance of a specific home treatment device before and after installing the unit.
2. Purchase bottled water for drinking and cooking.
More local information on lead in water: You can consult a variety of sources for additional information. Your family doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide you with information about the health effects of lead. State and local government agencies that can be contacted include:
1. Your municipal water treatment plant operator, health department, or water department can provide you with information about your community's water supply and a list of local laboratories that have been certified by EPA for testing water quality.
2. Your municipal building department can provide you with information about building permit records that should contain the names of plumbing contractors that plumbed your home.
3. Your local health department can provide you with information about the health effects of lead and how you can have your child's blood tested.

Readers of this article should see LEAD WATER PIPING for general information about lead water and drain piping in buildings.

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

[1] Drinking Water from Household Wells - PDF, U.S. EPA, Original source last retrieved 2/13/2013, original source: http://www.epa.gov/privatewells/pdfs/household_wells.pdf
- [1a] Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), U.S. EPA, web search 11/7/2010, original source: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/index.cfm
- [1b] Understanding the Safe Drinking Water Act, U.S. EPA, EPA 816-F-04-030 June 2004, web search 11/7/2010, original source: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/sdwa/upload/
  2009_08_28_sdwa_fs_30ann_sdwa_web.pdf
- [1c] Drinking Water Standards & Health Effects, U.S. EPA, web search 11/7/2010, original source:
  http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/sdwa/upload/
  2009_08_28_sdwa_fs_30ann_standards_web.pdf
- [1d] Drinking Water Treatment, U.S. EPA, web search 11/7/2010, original source:
  http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/sdwa/upload/
  2009_08_28_sdwa_fs_30ann_treatment_web.pdf [Warning: this file is difficult or impossible to download from the EPA website - 11/2010]
- [1e] Text of the U.S Safe Drinking Water Act: 42 USC CHAPTER 6A - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE [large PDF file] 02/01/2010 web search 11/7/2010, original source: http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/42C6A.txt
- [1f] Text of the U.S Safe Drinking Water Act: 42 USC CHAPTER 6A - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE [large text file - 15MB] 02/01/2010 (large text file), web search 11/7/2010, original source: http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/42C6A.txt
- [1g] US CPSC Document #426 "How to Protect Your Family from Lead in the Home" with additional information and annotations
- [1h] "Displaced Gypsies at Risk from Lead in Kosovo Camps," Nicholas Wood, New York Times, 5 February 2006 p5.
- [1i] "Nigeria: Lead Poisoning Spreads", Reuters, The New York Times, 8 June 2010 p. A6 - web search 06/08/2010
- [1j] "Higher Levels of Lead Seen in City Tap WaterTh", Mireya Navarro, The New York Times, 4 Nov 20120.
Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 info@carsondunlop.com. The firm provides professional home inspection services & home inspection education & publications. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors. Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, for permission for InspectAPedia to use text excerpts from The Home Reference Book & illustrations from The Illustrated Home. Carson Dunlop Associates' provides:
- Commercial Building Inspection Courses - protocol ASTM Standard E 2018-08 for Property Condition Assessments
- Home Inspection Education Courses including home study & live classes at eleven colleges & universities.
- Home Inspection Education Home Study Courses - ASHI@Home Training 10-course program.
  Special Offer: Carson Dunlop Associates offers InspectAPedia readers in the U.S.A. a 5% discount on these courses: Enter INSPECTAHITP in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
- The Home Reference Book, a reference & inspection report product for building owners & inspectors.
  Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
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  Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter inspectaehrb in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
- The Illustrated Home illustrates construction details and building components, a reference for owners & inspectors.
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[3] US CPSC Document #426 "How to Protect Your Family from Lead in the Home" with additional information and annotations
[4] "Standard Operating Procedure for Determining Lead (Pb) and Its Availability in Children's Metal Jewelery", US CPSC, 2/3/2005
[5] "Displaced Gypsies at Risk from Lead in Kosovo Camps," Nicholas Wood, New York Times, 5 February 2006 p5.
[6] Lead in Drinking Water: Advice
[7] Tests for Lead Contamination in Water
[8] Lead in Drinking Water - Testing Problems/Advice
[9] How to Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home U.S. CPSC publication with additional links and resource references
[10] Lead Hazards in buildings, Dust, Paint, Water: General Advice, Testing Procedures, Illnesses with additional links and resource references for Lead Hazards
[11] Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
[12] Extreme Lead Poisoning Symptoms Suggested by Feb 2006 NY Times Article on Kosovo Roma Camps
[13] "Dally No Longer, Get the Lead Out," Jane Brody, The New York Times," 17 January 2006 p. F6. This is a good article for summarizing the lead issue.
[14] SOP for Determining Lead (Pb) and And Its Availability in Children's Jewelry
[15] Toy Industry Policy on Lead in Toys, International Council of Toy Industries, October 8, 1997
"The voluntary standard established in the United States under ASTM F-963 and the European standard under EN-71 for soluble lead in toys (lead which may migrate from the toy and be ingested by the child) is 90 parts-per-million. At that level, any intentional use of lead in paints or other surface coatings containing lead would immediately put the toy over the permitted limit."

"Under federal law, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) enforces a standard for total lead of 600 ppm. Recently, the CPSC refused to lower the lead limit in paint and other similar surface coating materials to 100 ppm after finding that most paints sold in the United States were already at or below that level and, therefore, these materials did not present an unreasonable risk of injury warranting further government regulation."
[16] Environmental Hazard Testing, Effects, Remedies, Prevention our main Enviro-Haz Web Page
[17] Appropriate Methods for Reducing Lead-Paint Hazards in Historic Housing, Sharon C. Park, AIA, and Douglas C. Hicks, U.S. National Park Service.
[18] "Report on the National Survey of Lead-Based Paint in Housing," - Executive Summary - U.S. EPA, April, 1995 (EPA 747-R-95-003). An Executive Summary of this report is provided in this web page below. The Full report is at this (large) pdf file.
[19] Using X-ray fluorescence for analysis of lead in paint and applicability of other agencies lead levels OSHA, 03/01/1999 - this is an important document because OSHA does not accept XRF for analysis of lead exposure in the workplace.
"The lead-in-construction standard was intended to apply to any detectable concentration of lead in paint, as even small concentrations of lead can result in unacceptable employee exposures depending upon on the method of removal and other workplace conditions. Since these conditions can vary greatly, the lead-in-construction standard was written to require exposure monitoring or the use of historical or objective data to ensure that employee exposures do not exceed the action level. Historical data may be applied to all construction tasks involving lead. Objective data was intended to apply to all tasks other than those listed under paragraph (d)(2) of the standard.

["OSHA does not consider X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to be an acceptable method of analysis. As stated in your letter, XRF analyzers are generally considered accurate when concentrations of lead in paint exceed 1 mg/cm�. For the purposes of occupational health, these levels are considered substantial and may easily present an exposure hazard. Without having conducted monitoring, or without the benefit of historical or objective data, the employer has no assurance of the employee's exposure. "

"Other regulatory agencies, such as Housing and Urban Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) have designated levels of lead in paint below which they consider the paint to be non-lead containing. The missions of these agencies differ from OSHA's, and for that reason, OSHA cannot recognize these levels as safe under workplace situations"

We recommend reviewing this position letter from OSHA. -- DF
[20] How to Identify Lead Paint Hazards, Maryland Department of the Environment, outlines when a lead inspection is necessary, who can perform a lead inspection, and the types of analysis used for lead inspections and testing. Maryland DOE includes suggestions for do-it-yourself lead paint testing using paint chips or scrapings. If you follow this approach be sure your samples accurately represent conditions at the whole building, inside and out -- DF.
[21] Sample XRF Lead Survey Report, "Lead Paint Inspection and Visual Assessment Single Family Dwelling, Murdock & Assoc., Mattoon, IL.
[22] Dutchess County New York, Health Department: an original source whose contents were paraphrased, adapted, and expanded for this article include public information document provided by the City of Poughkeepsie New York (Dutchess County) to residents served by city water supply system, December 1995.
[23] Steven G. Gilbert & Bernard Weiss, "A rationale for lowering the blood lead action level from 10 to 2 μg/dL", NeuroToxicology, Volume 27, Issue 5, September 2006, Pages 693–701, Environment and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 22nd International Neurotoxicology Conference
Abstract
Fifteen years ago, in 1991, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established 10 μg/dL as the lowest level of concern for children's blood lead levels. This value is extremely important because, historically, policy makers and public health officials generally have acted to remove sources of lead exposure only after the CDC's level of concern had been exceeded. A growing body of evidence, however, reveals that blood lead levels below 10 μg/dL may impair neurobehavioral development. There is now sufficient and compelling scientific evidence for the CDC to lower the blood lead action level in children. This review argues that a level of 2 μg/dL is a useful and feasible replacement. Although it can be argued, in turn, that no threshold for the health effects of lead is demonstrable, analytically a blood level of 2 μg/dL is readily and accurately measured and provides a benchmark for successful prevention. Lowering the level of concern would encourage and accelerate the investments needed to ensure that children are protected from lead exposure in their homes, schools, and play settings. Such a program would also offer economic advantages because of the coupling between lead, educational attainment, earnings and anti-social conduct. By lowering the blood action level, CDC will promote policies and initiatives designed to further reduce children's exposure to this potent developmental neurotoxicant.

Lead Contamination and Hazards
- Lead in Drinking Water: Advice
- Tests for Lead Contamination in Water
- Lead in Drinking Water - Testing Problems/Advice
- Lead Hazards: Advice, evaluation, mitigation, services - lead paint, lead in plumbing, lead in water, air, dust
- "Dally No Longer, Get the Lead Out," Jane Brody, The New York Times," 17 January 2006 p. F6. This is a good article for summarizing the lead issue.
- SOP for Determining Lead (Pb) and And Its Availability in Children's Jewelry
- Toy Industry Policy on Lead in Toys, International Council of Toy Industries, October 8, 1997
  "The voluntary standard established in the United States under ASTM F-963 and the European standard under EN-71 for soluble lead in toys (lead which may migrate from the toy and be ingested by the child) is 90 parts-per-million. At that level, any intentional use of lead in paints or other surface coatings containing lead would immediately put the toy over the permitted limit."
  
  "Under federal law, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) enforces a standard for total lead of 600 ppm. Recently, the CPSC refused to lower the lead limit in paint and other similar surface coating materials to 100 ppm after finding that most paints sold in the United States were already at or below that level and, therefore, these materials did not present an unreasonable risk of injury warranting further government regulation."
- Extreme Lead Poisoning Symptoms Suggested by Feb 2006 NY Times Article on Kosovo Roma Camps
- Environmental Hazard Testing, Effects, Remedies, Prevention - our main Enviro-Haz web page
- Drinking Water Contamination and Pollution How to Detect, Test, Correct, and Prevent Well Water Contamination - US EPA - Groundwater
- Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
- Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
- Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results and Correcting Unsatisfactory Water
- Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
- Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: Testing & Correction - Advice
- Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
- Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living
- Water Tests & Fees & detailed lists of test parameters
- When and How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
- Drinking Water testing, contamination, correction - all topics
- General water testing and corrective measure advice: contact your local health department.
- How to Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home U.S. CPSC publication with additional links and resource references
- Extreme Lead Poisoning Symptoms Suggested by Feb 2006 NY Times Article on Kosovo Roma Camps
- Lead Hazards in Buildings, Dust, Paint, Water: General Advice, Testing Procedures, Illnesses with additional links and resource references for Lead Hazards
- Environmental Hazard Testing, Effects, Remedies, Prevention/li>
...

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Drinking Water Supply, Contamination Levels, Water Testing Procedures
Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results and Correcting Unsatisfactory Water
Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: Testing & Correction - Advice
Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
Life Expectancy of Water Pumps - Well Pumps: how long should a water pump last? What affects pump life?
Life Expectancy of Wells & Water Tanks how long should a water well and its components last?
Shock or Chlorinate a Well, How to - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
Smart Tank, Installation Instructions, Flexcon Industries, 300 Pond St., Randolph MA 02368, www.flexconind.com, Tel: 800-527-0030 - web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://www.flexconind.com/pdf/st_install.pdf [Copy on file as /water/Smart_Tank_Flexcon.pdf ] -
Typical Shallow Well One Line Jet Pump Installation, Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf, [Copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect_Jet_Pumps_1.pdf ] -
Typical Deep Well Two Line Jet Pump Installation, Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf, [Copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect.pdf ] -
Water pressure tanks - how to diagnose the need for air, how to add air, stop water pump short cycling to avoid damage - water storage water pressure tank safety.
Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost
Water pressure tank failures & water pump short cycling diagnosis and repair
Water Supply & Drain Piping, water and drain pipe types, inspection, diagnosis, repairs, problem materials, clogging, etc.
Water Tests & Fees this water test fee schedule applies when testing is combined with other onsite building inspection services
Water Testing: background comments on classes of water contaminants, & links to home buyer advice about water testing, drinking water, water supply
Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.


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	Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair	Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia

Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair

Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia

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