Important Information about Lead in Water

Non-Lead Service Line Statement Update - 12.4.24

Lead in Drinking Water From Household Plumbing

Basic info on Lead

Lead is commonly found in a variety of places throughout our environment. While lead is rarely found in our source waters, it can be found in some homes. Lead enters drinking water from the corrosion (wearing away) of household plumbing materials containing lead. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe--commonly used in homes built or plumbed between 1962 and 1986, and brass components and faucets.  Some homes built before 1970 may have galvanized iron service lines, which connect a house to the water meter, with lead components.

Important Information about Lead in Your Drinking Water

Other Sources of Lead

Lead can dissolve into drinking water when the water sits in those pipes for several hours, such as overnight. This means the water first drawn from the tap in the morning, or later in the afternoon after returning from work or school, may contain higher levels of lead. Even new faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as ‘lead-free,’ may leach lead when water has remained stagnant for extended periods of time. The most common sources of lead exposure are lead-based paint, household dust, soil, and plumbing materials. Lead can also be found in some imported consumer products such as toys, cosmetics, spices and pottery.

How Does Lead Enter our Drinking Water?

Lead is unusual among drinking water contaminants. 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 water mains (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%.

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 if the water has not been used all day, may contain higher levels of lead. Lead in drinking water, although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person’s total lead exposure. Infants are exposed if they are given baby formulas and concentrated juices that are mixed with water containing lead.

Contact Us

  1. Carmen Wilson

    Operations Manager, Public Works
    Email Carmen Wilson
    Phone: (801) 335-8726
    More Information

  2. Jonathan Rueckert

    Public Works Director
    Email Jonathan Rueckert
    Phone: (801) 335-8727
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  3. John Lovato

    Water Foreman
    Email John
    Phone: (801) 335-8685
    More Information

  4. David Frandsen

    Assistant City Manager
    Email David Frandsen
    Phone: (801) 335-8684
    More Information

Important Information about Lead in NSL Drinking Water

9.19.2024

The City's water system has recently exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's established Action Level for lead in a small sampling of homes/buildings. The City is providing written notice to all of its water customers (by mail) as required by the State Division of Drinking Water. 

NOTICE (draft) to be MAILED TO RESIDENTS

  • Please note. This is not an emergency. 
  • The City is required to routinely check water samples for lead and copper.
  • On 8.22.24 the City tested thirty-three (33) water samples from residential homes (constructed prior to 1990).
  • Test results showed four (4) of those samples exceeded the EPA's published action levels (AL) for lead, but not for copper.
  • NO detectable lead in water provided by the City's water system.
    • The City itself no longer has lead piping in its delivery system, but from the meter to the home is the developer or homeowner’s responsibility. (DRAFT)
    • While the water supplied by the City does not contain a detectable amount of lead, lead can enter drinking water when water is in contact, for several hours, with pipes or plumbing that contain lead. Homes built before 1990 are more likely to have pipes, fixtures and solder that contain lead. Approximately 30% of the homes/buildings within the City were built before 1990 and consequently present more potential for lead entering drinking water through fixtures and pipes within the home.
  • This is not an emergency, but customers should be informed about what happened, what to do and what the City is doing to correct the situation.
Document

Health Effects of Lead

Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother’s bones, which may affect brain development.

Sources of Lead

The primary sources of lead exposure for most children are deteriorating lead-based paint, lead-contaminated dust, and lead-contaminated residential soil. Exposure to lead is a significant health concern, especially for young children and infants whose growing bodies tend to absorb more lead than the average adult. Infants that drink formula prepared with lead-contaminated water are at a greater risk because of the large volume of water they drink relative to their body size. Lead is rarely found in source water, but enters tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solder.

Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Exposure to Lead in Your Water

If the level of lead found in your drinking water is above 15 ppb or if you are concerned about the lead levels at your location, there are several things you can do:

  1. Run your water to flush out lead. If water hasn’t been used for several hours, run water from your kitchen tap or whatever tap you use for drinking and cooking for at least 3 minutes and it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking. This will help flush lead-containing water from the pipes. In order to conserve water, you can fill multiple containers after flushing for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula.
  2. Consider using a filter to reduce lead in drinking water. Look for filters that are tested and NSF sticker filter to reduce lead in watercertified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for particulate reduction.   Some filter options include a pour-through pitcher or faucet-mount systems.  If the label does not specifically mention lead reduction, check the Performance Date Sheet included with the device. Be sure to maintain and replace the filter device in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
  3. Use cold water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water. 
  4. Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.
  5. Identify older plumbing fixtures that likely contain lead. Older faucets, fittings, and valves sold before 2014 may contain higher levels of lead, even if marked “lead free.”  When purchasing new plumbing materials, it is important to look for materials that are certified to meet NSF standard 61.  The EPA prepared a brochure that explains the various markings that can indicate that materials meet the new “lead free” definition.
  6. Clean your aerator. The aerator on the end of your faucet is a screen that will catch debris.  This debris could include particulate lead.
  7. Test your water for lead. Call us at 801-335-8726 to find out how to get your water tested for lead. Testing can be completed by a certified laboratory for a cost.

It is possible for older homes to have lead service lines. The City of of North Salt Lake does not keep records of all of the water service lines. A licensed plumber can identify the type of service pipe for your home if you are unsure.

Future City Action

The City is required to  perform a comprehensive test every three years. Since the latest test results exceed the EPA published action level for lead, the City will now be required to perform these tests every six months until test results fall below the action level for two consecutive test periods. The City will also be testing for lead and copper at entry points in our distribution system in the next ninety (90) days. The City believes the source of the lead in the four samples exceeding the action level is from water pipes within the homes where the samples were taken and not from the general water distribution system.

The City is also required to take an additional sixty (60) samples in the same manner by December 31, 2024. It is our intention to publish results of all water sampling on the City’s website at www.nslcity.org.

For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home and the health effects of lead, visit EPA’s Web site, call the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-LEAD, or contact your healthcare provider.