M. Johnson, Philadelphia Water Dept.

HOW DOES LEAD

GET INTO WATER?

Lead enters the water

(“leaches”) through contact

with the plumbing.

Lead leaches into water through:

• Corrosion of

– Pipes

– Solder

– Fixtures and Faucets (brass)

– Fittings

• Particles caught in aerators

Water characteristics, such as pH,

hardness and temperature, affect the

amount of leaching.

WHY SHOULD WE

TEST THE WATER?

Lead is a health risk to infants and

children.

Exposure to lead is a significant

health concern, especially for

pregnant women, young children and

infants, whose growing bodies tend to

absorb more lead than the average

adult. Drinking water is one possible

exposure route for lead. A dose of

lead can have a big effect on a little

body, especially an infant whose diet

is mostly liquid.

The longer water remains in contact

with leaded plumbing, the more

opportunity exists for lead to leach

into the water. Facilities with

prolonged periods of no water usage,

such as schools and day cares, may

have elevated lead concentrations in

the water.

Many children spend a significant

part of their days at school or in a

child care facility. The fixtures that

provide water for consumption,

EPA photo

including drinking, cooking lunch, and

preparing juice and infant formula,

should be tested.

Testing is the only way to confirm if

lead is present or absent.

Lead solder with more than 0.2% lead

and plumbing with more than 8% lead

were banned in 1987. Buildings did

not have to be built with certified

“lead-free” fixtures until 1997. 

Even new, certified components can

leach some lead.

Water System tests do not give the

whole picture.

Most water systems test for lead as

a regular part of water monitoring. 

These tests give a system-wide

picture but do not reflect conditions

at a specific drinking water outlet.
HOW DO WE

PARTICIPATE IN THE

LEAD-FREE DRINKING

WATER PROGRAM?

• Develop a sampling plan.

• Take water samples.

• Use a certified lab to analyze

water samples.

• Replace outlets with leadfree components, as

necessary.

EPA’s guidance, “Lead in Drinking

Water in School and Nonresidential

Buildings” and “Sampling for Lead in

Drinking Water in Nursery Schools

and Day Care Facilities,” can help

schools and day cares achieve leadfree drinking water. Obtain these

documents through

www.epa.gov/safewater/Pubs.

See this site for more tools to help

achieve lead-free drinking water:

www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/schoola

nddccs.htm

WHAT CAN I DO TO REDUCE LEAD

RISK AT MY HOME?

• After the water is stagnant for

several hours, flush pipes until

you feel the temperature

change before cooking,

drinking, or brushing teeth.

• Use only cold water for cooking and

drinking. Never cook or mix

infant formula using hot water.

• Have your water tested.

HOTLINES AND

INFORMATION

National Lead Information Center:

 800-424-LEAD

EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline:

 800-426-4791

Drinking Water Information:

www.epa.gov/safewater/lead

Plumbing Standards:

www.nsf.org

EPA Region III

Water Protection Division

EPA 903-F-01-002

April 2002

Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable paper.

Lead-Free Drinking Water

In Schools and Day Cares

 

IS THERE LEAD

IN THE

DRINKING

WATER?

You can reduce the risk of lead

exposure from drinking water

in educational facilities.