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Testing your water for lead is important to ensure that you and your family drink clean, safe water. If you find that your water has lead in it, it’s essential to take immediate action. Get to the root of the problem and, if possible, eliminate it at the source.
This applies to each fixture; for example, running the washing machine won’t flush out the kitchen sink. If you suspect your water has lead and you’re waiting for test results, there are a few things you can do if you can’t avoid using water. The EPA recommends testing private well water annually at a minimum. Homeowners should be aware of conditions that may affect their well water, such as nearby agricultural activities, and test immediately in the event of disturbances like flooding. Toronto and many other cities offer a free testing kit that can be picked up or delivered to your door.
How to Test for Lead
The best tests for testing lead in drinking water yourself are all featured in our 9 Best Water Test Kits article. If you are a do-it-yourself type person, then you can fairly simply test your drinking water for the presence of lead yourself. This is done by purchasing test strips that can detect lead in water.
That’s because lead accumulates in your body when consumed for a long time. What we fail to realize is many filtration systems lack efficiency towards removing all the various water contaminants at scale. And, again, there is a high chance of downstream contamination as the water flows towards your house.
Find out if your tap water is contaminated with lead
If you're color blind, this may make it difficult to verify the results. Your best option will be to call a qualified professional to come out and inspect your home. Safety authorities in the U.S. didn't begin regulating the use of lead in paints, plastics, and other materials until 1978. If you're testing for lead in a home or other building that hasn't been renovated since that time, be sure to test each room separately to ensure that no contaminants go missed. The test strip will slowly begin to change colors if lead is detected in the surrounding water.
Some labs will ask for a second sample to be taken after the first pre-flush sample. This should be taken after the water has been running for a few minutes. This sample will reveal if there is lead in your home’s header pipe. The header pipe is underground, sometimes referred to as the pipe at “street level”. This pipe connects the home’s plumbing system to the municipal service line.
Lead Test Swabs
If your house was constructed before the year 1986 – the year lead pipes were banned – you are at an extremely high risk of lead contamination. What’s more troubling is that it wasn’t until 2014 that new regulations changed the legal limit for lead in household pipes to 0.25% (from 8% lead content allowed previously). As of January 1, 2014, all newly installed water faucets, fixtures, pipes and fittings must meet new lead-free requirements, which reduces the amount of lead allowed to 0.25%. But that doesn't apply to existing fixtures, such as what is found in many older homes and public water suppliers. They should keep records and be able to provide that information to you upon request. Health effects of lead in drinking water, but most people exposed to lead don’t present any symptoms.
While they produce 100% accurate results, the process can be time taking. Therefore, if you are only concerned about lead contamination, a reasonably-priced and simple lead testing kit (costing $20-$50) would suffice. If you find out that the levels of lead are above the EPA’s action level of 15 parts per billion , you’re at high risk. Remember, this is an action level; there is no safe level of lead in water.
If you have a lead service line, ask if there are any programs to assist with removal of the lead service line going to your home. Understand that any work, such as water main or service line replacement, could increase exposure to lead while the work is ongoing and for up to six months after the work is completed. The benefits of getting a sample of your water laboratory-tested are obvious.
Usually, an expert will follow the above steps, checking your home’s pipes, pipe fittings and plumbing for lead, and taking a sample of water for detailed testing. They might also alert you to additional contaminants in the water you use, so you know exactly what specific issue you’re dealing with and the steps to take to remedy it. To perform a lead test, simply dip a testing strip into a water sample from your kitchen faucet and leave it for several seconds, as advised in the test kit instructions. You can compare your test results to the included color chart to see how high your lead levels are. First off, if you don’t know whether you’re dealing with any amount of lead in your water, one option is to use an at-home DIY water testing kit.
However, this approach does not take into account contamination that might happen while the water flows from the utility to your place. At the end of the day, we can’t emphasize enough that a water test is essential before you buy a water filter. By getting a complete water analysis done, you will be better positioned to choose an effective lead water filter for your home. Since there is no vast distribution network and lead only rarely appears in water naturally, you may be safe from hazardous contamination.
This information then helps you select the most efficient filtration system to remove lead from your water supply. Several different types of water treatment systems will eliminate lead from tap water. This includes some of the best water softeners and various types of whole house filtration equipment that contains activated carbon filtration media. However, this statement which was established by the Safe Drinking Water Act is not a guarantee that lead will not be found in the water from your city water supplier. The same Safe Drinking Water Act does not apply to well water, so lead levels in well water are totally unregulated. I would be concerned if there was any type of poison present in my drinking water and that’s exactly what lead is, a poison.
He has a vast knowledge of the security industry and has worked with various security companies during his career. By working with him, you will be assured of quality work, on-time delivery, and a transparent pricing structure. Adults can consume small amounts of lead with few adverse side effects.
Windows are susceptible to cracks caused by flying debris, which could pose devastating risks for your home. To understand how hurricane-proofing works, you need to know what puts your garage door at risk during a hurricane. The best way to prevent dehydration is to always ensure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day.
Over the past two years, New London has been aggressively inventorying its pipes, the first step in the replacement process. If you plan to repaint or remodel your home, hire a State-certified lead contractor. Contact your family doctor or your local health department and get blood lead tests for your children who are 6 years of age or under. If your house was built before 1978 and your lead test kit comes out negative , you should have an accredited lab test the paint to make sure the lead test kit worked properly.
If your kit contains more than 1 type of test strip, make sure you're using the one that corresponds to lead. If you live in a large city where water quality is an issue, it may also be possible to order an at-home testing kit from your local water supplier or municipal authority free of charge. Send a water sample to a testing agency yourself for faster results. Another option is to take a sample on your own, then ship it off to your local water supplier or sanitation department for professional testing.
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