Earlier today we posted an article about free lead in water testing in NYC and since then our comment form has blown up with questions about the program. Below you will find information about the program, its goals, etc. If you want the full story, though, as in the official version as written by officials in New York City, go here now

Lead in Drinking Water from Household Plumbing

Water brought into the City from its reservoir system located upstate has virtually zero lead in it when it reaches the City. The water, however, has the ability to absorb lead from (older lead-containing) solder, certain types of metal fixtures and plumbing found in older buildings.

Therefore, if you live in an older building and/or just want to know more about the possibility that your water may contain dangerous, or at the very least no-so-safe levels of lead, then the following links on New York City’s own web site may prove quite useful:

• Important Information About Lead in Your Drinking Water
• Lead in Household Plumbing Brochure (downloadable PDF)
• Get the Run Your Tap Poster (downloadable PDF)

While we certainly DO applaud NYC’s efforts to inform the general public about the potential dangers posed by lead in its drinking water, and also for proving free lead in water testing to NYC residents who request it, we think the idea of advising millions of people to ‘run the faucet for 30 seconds’ will waste a whole lot of water.

On the other hand, the only other option, forcing building owners to convert over their old, lead-laden plumbing over to newer, safer plumbing components, would cost millions upon millions of dollars. Oh, and good luck trying to enforce THAT mandate in a city that size!

Hmmm… Quite a dilemma: Wasting millions (billions?) of gallons of perfectly good water (before it got to the City) which we will run out of one day to avoid spending 10′s of millions (billions?) of dollars to replace lead-containing components of an aging infrastructure… or biting the bullet and spending the money.

We dare not comment on that last one any more than we already have! We do not have the answers, but that does not mean we don’t think people need to ponder such dilemmas — as we often do.

So where does the leave New Yorkers?

For right now it leaves them with the heads-up that they need to monitor the quality of their tap water AND, at least for now, a free lead in water testing service they can use to assess the amount of lead in their drinking water.

It ALSO puts them in the same category as the rest of us: Responsible for the Quality of the Water We Use.

For a long time many people believed that only private well owners had sole responsibility for monitoring the quality of the water entering their homes… but obviously we can all now see that the miles of piping that may or may not contain lead — or leaks where unwanted contaminants could get in — presents itself as a noteworthy risk to folks with city/municipal water.

Therefore, we feel that everyone ought to consider testing their tap water from time to time. Unexpected leaks can occur at any time and may go undetected for years as they allow innumerable contaminants to enter the water supply, deplete disinfectant levels, and possibly find a nice place to hang out, grow and create new little contaminants of their own in the water supply.

Wow. The imagery from that last statement made us shudder. We hope it had the same effect on all of you.

Another story about lead in water? Really? Yes. We will keep posting stories about elevated levels of lead in drinking water until we stop finding them. Today’s lead in water story comes to you from New York City.

Apparently the results of random water tests conducted earlier this year revealed that lead levels in water from faucets in buildings known to still contain lead in their plumbing seem to have started leaching higher levels of lead into the water they carry — and that has prompted public health officials in New York City to advise residents to run their water for 30 seconds before collecting any for use.

What does running the water do? Simple: It allows water that has sat in contact with lead service lines or plumbing that possibly contains lead to get flushed out. Water that sits stagnant in the line can pick up metals over time and longer it sits, the more metals it could possibly pick up.

New York City health and environmental officials on Thursday advised residents to run their tap water for at least 30 seconds before drinking or cooking with it after testing showed a rise in the percentage of homes with elevated levels of lead.

The city is required to test for lead in tap water each year under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. In tests conducted from June to September in homes in older buildings known to have lead in their plumbing, 30 of 222 samples — or about 14 percent — exceeded allowable lead levels.

Last year, only 5.4 percent of the samples had elevated levels, city officials said.

The officials emphasized that the results did not pose a health threat and that lead levels have been in decline since the 1990s. But the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which defines samples above 15 parts per billion as elevated, requires public notification whenever more than 10 percent of the samples exceed that level.

The tests found levels in the range of 16 to 30 parts per billion. ( source )

Did anyone but us catch that?

“The officials emphasized that the results did not pose a health threat and that lead levels have been in decline since the 1990s.” Please tell us WHY that has any relevance to the importance of the current findings and should make people feel better about their tap water containing elevated levels of lead TODAY.

The article mentioned how the USEPA believes lead levels in drinking water at or above 15 parts per billion demand immediate action to avoid cause harm to humans, especially unborn children and young children, if they consume the water. So… please tell us again why levels of lead greater than the EPA’s guideline shouldn’t make people want to run out get their tap water tested right away.

Sorry, Charlie, but if those health and water officials recognize that lead in water can cause irreparable damage, and that the levels of lead recently detected exceed those deemed safe by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, then it makes no sense for them to imply that those elevated lead levels ought not make people nervous.

One good thing: Free Lead in Water Testing in NYC

The same folks who said the elevated levels should not serve as cause for serious alarm have also made lead in water testing available to the public (in New York City)… for free.

Yes, we said, “FREE.” The City of New York has a free lead in water testing program in place (verified: November 29, 2010) for residents concerned that their building’s plumbing may have contributed lead to their tap water.

Click here for more details about NYC’s lead in water testing program.

We get asked about this all the time, so once again we will address the topic of rotten egg smells in water… this time for a woman who suspects something has gone wrong with either her or her neighbor’s septic tank.

Sandra77D wrote in and asked, “Hi. My water stinks like something awful. Rotten eggs and nasty smelling funk. Especially the hot water. A neighbor says he has teh same problem and blames his old septic tank. Our houses were built in the same year. Should we blame the septic tank, too?”

In all honesty, Sandra, we do not have the credentials or knowledge to answer that question for you. We can, however, give you a quick education on hydrogen sulfide in drinking water.

Water containing dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas produces an offensive (and VERY unpleasant) “rotten egg” or “sulfur” odor and will also have a similar taste. In a lot of cases the odor seems a lot stronger when one first turns on the water or runs hot water from the faucet.

Higher temperatures result in the generation of hydrogen sulfide gas at a faster rate and this can make showering in water that contains hydrogen sulfide particularly unpleasant!

Blame it on the hot water heater?

Occasionally water that smells like rotten eggs will actually have acquired that smell from a corrosion control rod in the hot water heater. Over time the magnesium-based rod can chemically reduce sulfates in source water to hydrogen sulfide.

If you only get the rotten egg smell from your hot water tap, check the corrosion control rod in your hot water tank.

Can the rotten egg smell harm people?

Aside from its noxious nature, it really does not present all that much of a danger unless the hydrogen sulfide fumes build up in confined spaces. High concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas in the air can cause headaches and make people pass out… pretty much like any other gas.

The bigger problem people face when dealing with hydrogen sulfide comes from its tendency to corrode iron, steel and copper — three commonly used metals for plumbing fixtures. It also tends to tarnish silverware and discolor copper and brass cooking utensils.

In houses with hydrogen sulfide problems kitchen and bathroom fixtures will typically develop yellow or black stains and beverages such as coffee and tea will have odd discoloration. Foods cooked with hydrogen sulfide water may have unusual appearances and/or tastes.

I’ve heard that water softeners can create rotten egg smells, too?

While not as common as problems with the corrosion control bar in the water heater, yes, water softeners can serve as the source of hydrogen sulfide smells in water. Certain types of bacteria can flourish in the bed of a water softener where they will reduce any sulfate that passes through the bed to hydrogen sulfide.

If you get a black slime on the inside of your water softener and a rotten egg smell to your water despite having no hydrogen sulfide detected in your source water, you may have a problem with bacteria in your water softener.

Hydrogen sulfide from sewage?

Definitely possible! While water containing hydrogen sulfide by itself most likely will not cause disease, hydrogen sulfide smells can possibly come from sewage that certainly CAN can contain disease-producing contaminants.

For that reason, health officials and water experts suggest testing for bacterial contamination when investigating a hydrogen sulfide smell in drinking water.

Getting rid of hydrogen sulfide smell in water

Several different methods for getting rid of hydrogen sulfide in water exist, but as you can see, you must first figure out the source of the gas. Did it come from the source water (if you have well water)? Does it only show up in hot water? Do you have well water and a septic tank? Do you smell it outside of your home on not-so-windy days?

Depending upon the source AND amount of hydrogen sulfide in water, shock chlorination, water heater alteration (changing the metal of the corrosion control rod), activated carbon filtration, oxidizing filtration, or oxidizing chemical injection may reduce or eliminate hydrogen sulfide in water.

In certain cases the preferred method for reducing or eliminating hydrogen sulfide levels in water also has the added benefit of reducing/removing iron and manganese at the same time.

After consulting with a certified water testing professional…

If you have very concentrations of hydrogen sulfide originating from your source water, a filter such as the Crystal Quest Faucet Filter may get rid of the smell using on of its 5 stages of filtration.

If you have higher concentrations of hydrogen sulfide in your source water, you may need to use a much larger systems such as the Crystal Quest Whole House Iron & Hydrogen Sulfide Filter which uses three stages of filtration to filter out unwanted contaminants… including up to 5 ppm (parts per million) of hydrogen sulfide, 15 ppm of total (ferrous & ferric) iron and 10 ppm of manganese. This particular water filter system works well as an add-on to aeration, chlorination, ozone or other pretreatment methods in cases where extremely high levels of hydrogen sulfide exist.

Every once in a while we will find an article that delivers a direct message in a way that we, ourselves, could not improve upon. Today we found a letter written by a Ketchum man who believes the Governor of Idaho, C.L. “Butch” Otter, has done serious damage to environmental efforts in the State of Idaho by taking much needed funds for monitoring water ways in the state.

So without further ado, we will now present Steve Wolper’s letter to the Idaho Mountain Express in full.

Several years ago, Gov. Otter, after two previous violations of the Clean Water Act, had to pay a $50,000 fine for violations while polluting a side channel of the Boise River. It should come as no surprise that he has done all he could to end water-quality monitoring in Idaho.

In 2008 to 2009, Gov. Otter was complicit with the Legislature in successfully defunding the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality’s water-monitoring program. That leaves about 33,500 miles of rivers and 186,680 acres of freshwater lakes with insufficient monitoring data to protect them from pollution. This is in a state that advertises itself as “the Whitewater State,” never mind the world-class trout, steelhead and salmon fisheries that bring tens of millions of dollars into our struggling economy.

Adjusting the budget in these financial times is logical, but cutting essentials is not. Clean water is not optional, it is essential—it is our lifeblood. Our health and economy depend on clean water for domestic and commercial consumption and recreation.

It makes no sense and is a false economy to defund water quality monitoring when the cost to clean polluted streams and lakes is enormously more expensive. Without baseline monitoring data, it will be virtually impossible to set and maintain minimum standards. It is always far less expensive to recognize and stop the pollution before the damage is done. In the last year alone, the state has spent tens of millions of federal and state (taxpayer) dollars to clean up the Coeur d’Alene basin and many other polluted waters.

The governor and Legislature must reinstate our water-quality-monitoring program—it is essential to the health and economy of Idaho.

Steve Wolper

Ketchum

If the idea of a political figure possibly abusing his or her powers while in office for personal gain or for the personal gain of friends shocks you, then we would like to run for office in your town. Alleged corruption in politics sounds as natural and normal as… the feeling of enjoyment people have after taking a nice, long drink of sparkling clean water.

With that said, we hope people in Idaho find a way to get funds back for the testing of surface waters running through their communities because as Steve pointed out, it costs a lot less to monitor waterways than it does to clean them up after contamination occurs.

Community testing efforts

We fear that the cuts in Idaho Department of Environmental Quality’s water-monitoring program may have already gotten so deep that even adding money back to their budgets will not bring them back to the level they need to reach in order to effectively watch over the state’s lakes, rivers and streams.

Therefore, in situations where the government has decided to walk away from environmental monitoring — for ANY reason(s) — the public has to step up do the testing on their own… or nothing will get done.

Thankfully, though, many field-ready test kits exist that don’t cost a fortune and also don’t require advanced knowledge of chemistry to operate. These kits may not, in many cases, have the same levels of precision and accuracy as the equipment used by water testing professionals, but they do give on-the-spot results that people can use as evidence that water in an area may require more sophisticated testing.

Since we started this blog articles about ‘new’ dangers posed by lead in water have come up from time to time… and we have posted articles about them as soon as we became aware of them. Does that make us sensationalists or couriers of messages and news intended to make people cognizant of potential dangers posed by the possibility of lead in their drinking water?

You will have to answer that question for yourself, and while you ponder that query, please also take a moment to think about the possibility that any number of manufacturing errors could possibly result in the improper distribution of lead in brass fittings — as alleged by researchers investigating alarmingly high levels of lead found in water produced by water fountains after technicians took several steps to make them lead-free.

Hidden elements in drinking-water lines can shed large amounts of lead, a toxic heavy metal. And it’s quite legal, even if it does skirt the intent of federal regulations.

University researchers, who uncovered this problem the hard way, have published a case study on the offending hardware in the November issue of the journal of the American Water Works Association.

Lead adds ductility to brass, making it easier to bend or machine into desired shapes. To limit the risk of lead poisoning, U.S. law prohibits new brass plumbing parts in drinking water lines from containing more than 8 percent lead by weight. Yet two shut-off valves containing only about 6.5 percent lead leached toxic amounts of the metal into drinking fountains at the University of North Carolina.

What happened: During manufacturing, the lead did not uniformly distribute throughout the brass, but ended up preferentially settling at or near the surface. As a result, the outside of affected valves—the side visible when looking at a water line (see photo)—slightly exceeded the lead limit. That shouldn’t have posed a health problem, since this surface doesn’t touch water. However, the valves’ interior surface, which does, contained at least 18 percent lead by weight. ( source )

After reading that, and seeing how careful steps taken by knowledgeable people failed to get rid of all the lead in the plumbing of water fountains on a college campus, would you still think us alarmists by giving the topic a few minutes of publicity?

What levels of lead in water pose a danger?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has ruled that public water systems may not contain more than 15 ppb of dissolved lead and that any system found to have that amount or greater in the water it distributes must take immediate steps to remedy the situation.

While that sounds like a great plan, the fact remains that pretty much all lead found coming out of faucets in people’s homes entered the water at some point after the water left the water treatment facility. Old water service lines, fittings in people’s homes, and older solder used to join pipes all could contribute lead (and other metals) to the water they come in contact with — especially if the water has aggressive tendencies.

Aggressive tendencies? Water can have a bad attitude and start fights? Well, no, but throwing water on someone in a bar or dance club will put them in a bad mood and possibly start a fight.

When we say water has aggressive tendencies, we mean it has low total hardness and/or a low pH; both of which would make the water want to pull elements (metals and other things) out of any surfaces it comes in contact with.

And in conclusion…

Enough evidence exists out there pointing to the fact that dissolved metals in water have a probability of causing health problems that we do not know WHY anyone would not want to test their drinking water (note: tap water and well water can both can contain dangerous concentrations of dissolved metals) for the presence of metals periodically.

After yesterday’s posting about perchlorates in drinking water, we fully expected to receive the following question… and we thank you for not disappointing us!

A concerned parent from any area just outside of what sounds like a military firing range wrote in this morning and asked whether or not installing a reverse osmosis water filtration systems will allow her to effectively remove all perchlorates from her water.

We wish MORE concerned parents would take more of an interest in the quality of water they allow their children to drink!

We live live near a military base where they always blow stuff up and so the perchlorates could get in my water if what i read is true. If so, then reverse osmosis water filters will take them all out, right? We just had a new baby girl and we don’t want to take any chances! Thanks!

We will begin by saying that the USEPA has set the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for perchlorates at 6 micrograms per liter (0.006 mg/L or ppm) and that quality reverse osmosis water systems will reduce perchlorate concentrations in drinking water to levels below 0.006 ppm.

In other words, even the best reverse osmosis systems will not completely remove perchlorates from drinking water… but that does NOT mean you should ignore their presence!

Those who live in areas that have been contaminated should definitely install a water filter capable of removing perchlorate, probably some type of reverse osmosis filter. These filters won’t remove all of the perchlorate, but it is best to reduce the amount of perchlorate to the extent possible. … Needless to say, those with children attending schools that use water contaminated with perchlorate should take action to demand that the schools install proper filters, too, as drinking perchlorate-contaminated water could cause developmental delays in children, according to Dr. Power. ( source )

So… should you even bother installing a reverse osmosis water filter if a certified laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories informs you that your water contains perchlorates?

Absolutely! Getting rid of some unwanted contaminants will ALWAYS make more sense than allowing them to remain in your drinking water… for you and your family to ingest.

Selecting a reverse osmosis system

Start your process by testing your water and finding out what exactly you need to get rid of before you even think about what system to buy — else risk investing, and we did say investing, in a water filtration system that won’t get rid of the contaminants in your water.

Once you know what to get rid of, you will then know what filtration products to focus on and have the ability to compare the filtering capabilities of various water filter systems against the list of contaminants found in your water.

While we believe most people have no idea whether or not perchlorates pose a health risk to them, we would guess that most would err on the side of caution and avoid them if they had the option.

Folks in Barstow, CA recently received news that drinking water in their area contains unsafe levels of perchlorates, an inorganic compound used in rocket fuel, fireworks, various types of explosives, flares and matches.

The news prompted restaurants to close because they had no water to cook with and residents rushed out to snatch up bottled water from any store in the area that still had any left.

What harm do perchlorates cause?

In simple terms, perchlorates interfere with the thyroid gland’s ability to absorb iodine, a necessary element for healthy thyroid activity.

Reduced production of certain hormones by the thyroid can have adverse effects on the growth and development of fetuses, infants and young children.

Adults, especially women who smoke, suffer from the effects of perchlorate exposure in the form of altered metabolic rates and metabolic processes.

Testing for perchlorates?

Most people will never have a need to test for perchlorates but for the unfortunate few who do find themselves in need of perchlorate testing, they will need to seek the assistance of a certified water testing laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories because no simple, at-home test kits for perchlorates exist.

National Testing Labs performs perchlorate testing, but not as part of their ‘standard testing packages for homeowners’. Individuals interested in perchlorate testing should call 800-458-3330 and ask for information on submitting a sample of water for perchlorate testing — which will run approximately $125 per sample and take between 10 and 15 days to complete.

You mentioned standard testing packages for homeowners…

Yes, we did mention those test kits — and we did it for a reason. Too many people do NOT know that they have fast, convenient and accredited water testing services at their disposal… so they keep putting off getting their water tested and in doing so they potentially, and quite unnecessarily, leave themselves vulnerable to any and all potential contaminants in their water.

Areas affected by drinking water contamination where the majority of homeowners have their own private wells face a unique set of circumstances. Why? Quite simply, the law states that owners of private well owners bear sole responsibility for the quality of the water produced by their respective wells.

Accordingly, any testing deemed necessary — for ANY reason — gets done at the sole discretion of the well owners… typically at the EXPENSE of the well owners.

Your well, your water, your problem, right? Not when the government wants information about aquifer contamination in the area.

In cases where health officials suspect widespread contamination of the aquifers feeding local residents’ wells, and they want to figure out the extent of contamination and/or where the contaminants came from, a disagreement over who should pay for residents’ private wells to get tested will definitely occur.

Experts will want the testing done in a scientific, methodical manner — so that any results obtained can get admitted as evidence in a court of law, if needed — and that would mean a whole lot of testing done by certified water testing labs.

Testing of ANY kind costs money… and since the government wants the testing done, some feel the government should foot the bill.

But, um, wait… The government gets its money from taxes — which we, the people, pay each and every day. So… if a person opts NOT to participate in the testing, why should they have to pay for the testing through their taxes?

Residents of Stamford, CT have a situation very similar, if not totally identical to the one described above going on in their community right now.

STAMFORD — City officials are considering passing an ordinance that would subsidize well water testing for Stamford residents in another effort to determine the origin and extent of pesticide contamination in North Stamford.

The proposed ordinance, which is in its infancy, would require the city to provide residential well water testing for homeowners upon request, said Board of Representatives president Randy Skigen, D-19. Residents would be asked to contribute $100 towards testing costs; the city would pay the difference.

…

City officials are hoping subsidizing testing will help shed light on the extent of residential well contamination in North Stamford, Skigen said. In order to receive the subsidy, residents must agree to share their test results with the city. ( source )

In the end, though, the responsibility for private well water testing will almost always remain in the hands of the well owner. We suspect that if a private well owner refused to participate in Stamford’s testing program, no Court could compel them to change their mind.

Our conclusion

The testing needs to get done. Period. Something has contaminated the water and someone needs to figure out the identity of that source.

We wish you the best of luck, Stamford, as you attempt to figure out the source of your well water troubles.

Please share with the rest of us how you sort out the matter of who will pay for the testing… when you finally figure it out.

Late last week residents in a Massachusetts community outside of Boston received word that water samples from two of the town’s wells tested positive for the presence of bacteria (enterococci bacteria). Accordingly, health officials advised residents to not use their tap water without boiling it first.

Boiling the water before using it for cooking, drinking, washing, brushing one’s teeth, etc. would effectively kill off any bacteria potentially present.

as a general rule, health officials view the presence of enterococci bacteria as a sign that the water may have become contaminated with fecal matter and that, friends, could definitely make more than a few people sick.

For anyone with a compromised or otherwise suppressed immune system, ingesting water containing fecal matter could mean death.

No matter how you look at it, though, the very idea of drinking human or animal waste sounds… absolutely revolting.

The Town of Marshfield has ordered residents to boil their water before using it, after tests of water samples from two test wells found a high level of enterococci bacteria. Enterococci bacteria is an indicator of the possible presence of fecal matter, and when it is found in drinking water it poses a serious health risk.

The well sites on Spring Street and Church Street, two of six wells in the towns hi-zone water system, had high levels of the bacteria, according to results returned Thursday night.

Residents are being instructed to bring water to a rolling boil before drinking and cooking, or before brushing teeth, bathing, or washing their face. ( source )

Far too many people trust in modern technology these days and forget one of the most basic facts in the Known Universe: “Sh#t happens.”

Machines can break, valves can fail and unexpected leaks can occur. When any of those things happen, some of the bacteria from the sh#t that unavoidably happens has an opportunity to get into your water supply.

Who should test for bacteria in drinking water?

In most cases people with city water do not need to test for bacteria in their water, but an occasional test just to make certain nothing has gone wrong with the pipes between the water treatment facility and their homes never hurts.

For people who private wells, the odds of bacteria infiltrating their wells go way, way up. Therefore experts suggest a regimen of periodic testing for coliform bacteria to anyone who owns a private well.

Trained water experts perform daily testing of city water but no one will test your well water if you don’t.

As if the residents of New Orleans had not dealt with enough water-related issues in the past few years, health officials advised residents in the French Quarter and Lower 9th Ward areas to not use their water for any purpose without boiling it first.

Boiling the water will kill off any bacteria which may have grown in the lines of a water treatment facility where recent electrical and mechanical problems resulted in lower than acceptable pressure readings.

When pressure drops, water sits stagnant and as we all know, stagnant water can become a breeding ground for bacteria.

While testing has not detected any bacteria in the water, yet, health officials in New Orleans decided to err on the side of caution and issue a ‘boil water advisory’ to the affected areas rather than risk widespread illness if harmful bacteria did manage to get into the water supply.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The most widespread boil-water order since Hurricane Katrina has been issued for the east bank of New Orleans, affecting more than 300,000 people.

Robert Jackson, director of community and intergovernmental relations for the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the order was issued after a mechanical and electrical failure at a water treatment plant caused pressure to drop.

He said the order is precautionary, but residents should be prepared to boil all water for cooking and other uses until at least Sunday night. He says no one has been sickened by the water, but officials are still testing the water to ensure no bacteria formed while the pressure was down.

…

The area includes the city’s French Quarter and Lower 9th Ward areas. ( source )

No matter where you live, and what type of water you have (i.e. tap water or well water), the threat of bacteriological contamination will always exist. More so for people who have well water due to the stringent testing requirements followed by public water treatment facilities, but still, since miles of piping exist between the water plant and most people’s faucets, the risk of accidental contamination does exist for folks on city/municipal water systems.

Easy ways to test for bacteria in drinking water?

No home drinking water test kit takes the place of testing performed by a certified water testing lab, but spot checking with home drinking water test kit allows homeowners to keep an eye on the quality of their water between lab tests… at an affordable cost.

Companies such as WaterSafe and SenSafe manufacture simple test kits for coliform bacteria in drinking water that pretty much anyone can use and get results they can trust.