Lead is a potent neurotoxin that can cause irreversible damage to the nervous system and the brain. It poses a particular risk to infants and children, impairing their cognitive development and causing behavioral disorders.
Water service lines, the pipes that bring water into homes from water mains, are thought to be a major source of lead exposure for children. (Lead-based paint, sometimes found in older buildings, is another.) There is no safe level of lead in drinking water.
The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it would require water utilities to replace virtually every lead service line in the country within 10 years. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are nine million lead service lines across the country.
But is your home serviced by lead pipes? How can you check, and what can you do about it if you find you have lead pipes? Follow this handy guide, based on guidance from the E.P.A., to find out.
Ask the management
Start by asking your landlord or your property manager, if you have one, for information on your water supply. If you get a water bill, ask your utility company whether your property is serviced by lead lines.
Lead pipes are more likely found in older cities, like Chicago, New York, Detroit and Milwaukee, and in homes built before 1986, when the use of lead in new plumbing was banned.
If you have trouble getting information that way, there are several other steps you can take to figure things out yourself:
Start with the water meter and check the color of the pipe
Locate your water meter. That could be in your basement, garage, in your yard, or even on the sidewalk. Then, examine the service line. That’s the pipe coming into the water meter. Is it made of metal or plastic?
If it looks like it’s made of metal, determine what kind. One way is to take a key or coin to gently scratch the pipe. (Use work gloves to do this.)
Take a look at the color of the pipe. If it’s orange, it’s copper. If it’s gray, but hard to scratch, it could be galvanized steel, which you can check by seeing if a magnet sticks to the pipe.
If the metal pipe is easily scratched, and a magnet doesn’t stick to it, it is probably made of lead.
Replace the problematic pipes
If your home is serviced by lead pipes, it’s important that you get them replaced as quickly as possible and that you take some protective steps.
Contact your water utility, a licensed plumber, or your city or county, to ask about replacement programs. Billions of dollars in federal and state funding are being made available for lead pipe replacement. There could be a long waiting period, though.
If you have the financial means and prefer to pay your own way, consult a plumber. But keep in mind that replacement costs can come to thousands of dollars. The actual work should take only a day or two.
Reduce your exposure
In the meantime, take steps to reduce you and your family’s lead exposure.
Before using water for drinking or cooking, run your tap at a high volume to flush the line. Try to use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula, because lead dissolves more easily in hot water. Remember that boiling water can kill of germs, but it won’t get rid of lead.
Clean your faucet’s aerator, or the little screen attached where the water comes out. Consider installing a water filter that is certified to remove lead.
If you’re concerned about you or your family’s blood lead levels, consult your family doctor or pediatrician about testing. You can also get your water tested for lead, and you can find a certified lab on the E.P.A. website.
But the bottom line: If you suspect your home has lead pipes, you should get them replaced.
The post Does My Home Have Lead Pipes? And What Can I Do About Them? appeared first on New York Times.
