Illinois Administrative Code › Title 35 - ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › Part 611 - PRIMARY DRINKING WATER STANDARDS › Subpart AG - INTERIM LEAD AND COPPER RULES › Appendix F - Mandatory Lead Public Education Information for Non-Transient Non-Community Water Systems

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 28, July 12, 2024
1) INTRODUCTION
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and
				  (insert name of water supplier) are concerned about lead in your drinking
				  water. Some drinking water samples taken from this facility have lead levels
				  above the USEPA action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb), or 0.015 milligrams
				  of lead per liter of water (mg/l). Under Federal law we are required to have a
				  program in place to minimize lead in your drinking water by (insert date when
				  corrosion control will be completed for your system). This program includes
				  corrosion control treatment, source water treatment, and public education. We
				  are also required to replace the portion of each lead service line that we own
				  if the line contributes lead concentrations of more than 15 ppb after we have
				  completed the comprehensive treatment program. If you have any questions about
				  how we are carrying out the requirements of the lead regulation please give us
				  a call at (insert water system's phone number). This brochure explains the
				  simple steps you can take to protect you and your family by reducing your
				  exposure to lead in drinking water.
2) HEALTH EFFECTS OF LEAD
Lead is found throughout the environment in lead-based paint;
				  air; soil; household dust; food; certain types of pottery, porcelain, and
				  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.
3) LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
A) 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.
B) 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 houses and buildings 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 %.
C) 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.
4) STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO REDUCE EXPOSURE TO LEAD IN DRINKING
				  WATER
A) 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 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. Although toilet flushing
				  or showering flushes water through a portion of the 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 gallon.
B) Do not 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.
C) The steps described above will reduce the lead
				  concentrations in your drinking water. However, if you are still concerned, you
				  may wish to use bottled water for drinking and cooking.
D) 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 the
				  following:
i) (Insert the name or title of facility official
				  if appropriate) at (insert phone number) can provide you with information about
				  your facility's water supply; and
ii) The Illinois Department of Public Health at
				  217-782-4977 or 312-814-2608 or the (insert the name of the city or county
				  health department) at (insert phone number) can provide you with information
				  about the health effects of lead.
BOARD NOTE: Derived from
					 40 CFR
					 141.85(a)(2) (2011). The
					 Department of Public Health (Department) regulates non-community water
					 supplies, including non-transient, non-community water supplies. The Department
					 has incorporated this Part into its regulations at 77 Ill. Adm. Code
					 900.15(a)(2)(A) and 900.20(k)(2). Thus, the Board has included the notice
					 language of
					 40 CFR
					 141.85(a)(2) in this Section
					 for the purposes of facilitating federal review and authorization of the
					 Illinois drinking water regulations.