Drinking Water Information
Is my Drinking Water Safe From Lead?
The toxic effects of the chronic ingestion of lead are well documented. The effects include, but are not limited to, neurological and developmental problems in children and systemic damage in adults including the reproductive system in men and damage to the fetus in pregnant women.
Lead Plumbing
Older homes (50+years) may have a lead supply line from the street main to the house and, in some homes, the plumbing lines inside of the house are made of lead.
To visually identify a lead supply line look for a bulbous type fitting where the supply line enters the house by the water meter.
Copper Plumbing
Lead may leach into the water from the solder which joins sections of copper together. Until a few years ago, common pipe solder which was a tin-lead alloy, was 40% lead.
Brass Faucets
Brass faucets may contain lead which can leach into the water.
Saulsbury Environmental has tested the drinking water in many older homes and, fortunately, the large majority of these homes have had little or no detectable amounts of lead in their water. This is likely due to the presence of mineral deposits which accumulate on the inside of the plumbing lines which helps prevent the lead from leaching into the water. A few homes have had high levels of lead leach into the water, which occurred while the water remained stagnant in the pipes for a prolonged period.