Corrosion can cause unsafe levels of lead and copper to dissolve into your drinking water. It may also eventually cause leaky pipes, faucets, hot water heaters, or other plumbing fixtures. Lead is a metal once used in solder, pipes, and plumbing fixtures in many Wisconsin homes. High lead levels in the body can damage many body organs and systems. Lead can be especially dangerous to young children, infants, and the unborn.
Copper is the metal commonly used to manufacture water pipes.
Too much copper in drinking water may cause vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and nausea. Loss of copper from your pipes into the drinking water may also eventually lead to leaks in the pipes. Corrosion, lead, and copper problems are sometimes, but not always, related. This flow chart allows you to evaluate your risk from each of these three problems, and suggests a common set of solutions you might use to solve them. Lead Contamination of Drinking Water 1.