LEAD PUBLIC EDUCATION – COMMUNITY SYSTEMS
MANDATORY LANGUAGE FOR INFORMATIONAL NOTICE
Health
Effects of Lead
Lead
is a common metal 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.
Lead
in Drinking Water
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% or more of a
person's total exposure to lead.
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.”
If a
water test indicates that the drinking water drawn from a tap in your home
contains lead above 15 ppb, then you should take the following precautions:
1. 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 your home's plumbing the more lead
it may contain.
2. Try not to 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 on the stove.
3. Remove loose lead solder and debris from the plumbing materials installed in newly constructed homes, or homes in which the plumbing has recently been replaced, by removing the faucet strainers from all taps and running the water from three to five minutes. Thereafter, periodically remove the strainers and flush out any debris that has accumulated over time.
4. If your copper pipes are joined with lead solder that has been installed illegally since it was banned in 1986, notify the plumber who did the work and request that he or she replace the lead solder with lead-free solder. Lead solder looks dull gray, and when scratched with a key looks shiny. In addition, notify the Department of Environmental Protection about the violation.
5. Determine whether or not the service line that connects your home or apartment to the water main is made of lead. The best way to determine if your service line is made of lead is by either hiring a licensed plumber to inspect the line or by contacting the plumbing contractor who installed the line. You can identify the plumbing contractor by checking the city's record of building permits which should be maintained in the files of the [insert name of department that issues building permits]. A licensed plumber can at the same time check to see if your home's plumbing contains lead solder, lead pipes, or pipe fittings that contain lead. The public water system that delivers water to your home should also maintain records of the materials located in the distribution system. If the service line that connects your dwelling to the water main contributes more than 15 ppb to drinking water, after our comprehensive treatment program is in place, we are required to replace the line. If the line is only partially owned by the [insert name of the city, county, or water system that owns the line], we are required to provide the owner of the privately owned portion of the line with information on how to replace the privately owned portion of the service line, and offer to replace that portion of the line at the owner’s expense. If we replace only a portion of the line that we own we are also required to notify the owner in advance and provide the owner with the information on the steps the owner can take to minimize exposure to any temporary increase in lead levels that may result from the partial replacement, to take a follow-up sample at our expense from the line within 72 hours after the partial replacement, and to mail or otherwise provide the owner with the results of that sample within three business days of receiving the results. Acceptable replacement alternatives include copper, steel, iron, and plastic pipes.
6. Have an electrician check your wiring. If grounding wires from the electrical system are attached to your pipes, corrosion may be greater. Check with a licensed electrician or your local electrical code to determine if your wiring can be grounded elsewhere. DO NOT attempt to change the wiring yourself because improper grounding can cause electrical shock and fire hazards.
The steps described above will reduce the lead concentrations in your drinking water. However, if a water test indicates that the drinking water coming from your tap contains lead concentrations in excess of 15 ppb after flushing, or after we have completed our actions to minimize lead levels, then you may want to take the following additional measures:
1. Purchase or lease a home treatment device. Home treatment devices are limited in that each unit treats only the water that flows from the faucet to which it is connected, and all of the devices require periodic maintenance and replacement. Devices such as reverse osmosis systems or distillers can effectively remove lead from your drinking water. Some activated carbon filters may reduce lead levels at the tap; however all lead reduction claims should be investigated. Be sure to check the actual performance of a specific home treatment device before and after installing the unit.
2. Purchase bottled water for drinking and cooking.
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. Department and local government agencies that can be contacted include:
a. [insert the name of city or county department of public utilities] at [insert phone number] can provide you with information about your community's water supply, and a list of local laboratories that have been certified by EPA for testing water quality;
b. [insert the name of city or county department that issues building permits] at [insert phone number] can provide you with information about building permit records that should contain the names of plumbing contractors that plumbed your home; and
c. [insert the name of the Department of Public Health] at [insert phone number] 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 and how you can have your child's blood tested.