Janie and Kurt Lampi, members of The Triplet Connection, work in the environmental consulting business as geologists. Part of what they do is perform tests for lead in drinking water. The hot water in the hot water heater and in the connecting piping readily dissolves lead from the piping solder and other lead-containing materials that come in contact with the water.
Children are particularly sensitive to lead contamination since their bodies are developing.
As a result, they absorb more lead than adults. At very low exposures, lead poisoned children experience reduced I.Q.'s, impaired learning and language skills, loss of hearing, reduced attention spans and poor classroom performance. At high levels of lead exposure, damage occurs in the brain and central nervous system. The following bulletin was included in a manual written by the EPA concerning lead in school drinking water. Hot water dissolves lead more quickly than cold water and is likely to contain higher levels of lead.