Residents living in the following areas may submit a water sample for free lead screening: Burlington Water District, City of Gresham, City of Tigard, City of Tualatin, City of Sherwood, Lake Grove Water District, Palatine Hill Water District, Raleigh Water District, Rockwood Water PUD, Tualatin Valley Water District, Valley View Water District, and the West Slope Water District.

Specifically, the Portland Water Bureau would like for households statistically at the highest risk for lead contaminated water to participate in their free lead in water program. These households include, but are not limited to, buildings constructed between 1970 and 1985 that have homes with children age 6 (or younger) and/or pregnant women. This does not mean, however, that any other household in the aforementioned areas cannot participate.

The Portland Water Bureau will gladly test water samples for any home in the region that has concerned that its plumbing contains elements that may leach lead into its drinking water.

As proof of Portland Water Bureau’s commitment to safe drinking water in the region, in 2008, the Portland Water Bureau laboratory performed more than 1,100 free lead-in-water analyses for residential customers and more than 130 free lead in water analyses for customers of participating wholesale drinking water providers.

For those interested in requesting a free lead in water sample collection kit, simply fill out the Water Test Kit Request Form. Once you have received your kit, collected the sample, and submitted the sample the results of your lead in water test will become available in 4 to 6 weeks. ( source )

Water Test Kit Store Lead Testing Options

As of right now the Water Test Kit Store carries the WaterSafe Lead in Water Test Kit, the SenSafe Water Test Kit (which contains a test for lead in water, a test for pesticides, and two tests for 12 other water quality parameters), and the WaterSafe City Water Test (which contains a test for lead in water and 5 other water quality parameters).

Regardless of whether you locate a program in your area offering free water testing or you opt to perform testing on your own, what matters most is that you your water gets tested regularly.

Lead in Water Test Kit
from WaterSafe

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.