WaterSafe Lead in Water Test Kit

How do they know lead's in the water?

Simple testing for lead should take place on water distributed by public water systems on a regular basis.

How much lead in drinking water is harmful to me?

Pretty much all water quality experts agree that drinking water with lead concentrations of 15ppb (parts per billion) or more should not get consumed by pregnant women or children.

Drinking water that contains lead concentration up to15ppb should get filtered if native to the water supply or flushed with cold water if it comes from a building's plumbing, fixtures, faucets, etc.

Where did the lead come from?

OK, so we (now) know lead in drinking water not only exists, but that it definitely poses a larger threat to the general population than many people imagined.  So where did the lead come from?

• Banned in the mid-1980's and not widely used since before World War II, lead pipes ran through older buildings.
• Banned at around the same time as lead plumbing in homes, the solder used to connect copper tubing used in plumbing often contained high levels of lead.
• Older fixtures, fittings, and valves made of brass sometimes contained lead.
• If water mains and/or plumbing leading to a faucet contain lead, the possibility exists that bits and flakes of lead may break loose and get caught in the faucet's screen.
• For a long time water mains running from water treatment plants to homes, schools and businesses contained lead -- and some still do.
• Many drinking water fountains manufactured before the late 1980's contained lead components.

While the above methods by which lead may enter the tap water of a home, school, or business represent the most common sources of lead contamination, please keep in mind that other means of contamination may exist, as well.

How can I tell if plumbing in my older home is made of lead?

When scratched, a lead pipe will appear shiny at the location of the scratch while the rest of the pipe usually has a dull gray color.

SenSafe Heavy Metals Water Check

I have well water and PVC plumbing... so am I safe?

Not necessarily.  Lead occurs naturally in the environment so well water experts suggest periodic testing for lead in well water along with other critical water quality parameters.

If no 'events' threaten the integrity if a well, then many well water experts believe annual testing for critical water quality parameters (like dissolved lead) should suffice.

Is testing for lead in water expensive?

No, not really.  A basic DIY water test kit for dissolved lead in water from WaterSafe costs less than $15 and takes just a few minutes to perform.

BUT, should a basic test kit indicate the potential presence of dangerous levels of lead in your water, laboratory testing to determine the full extent of lead contamination will cost a bit more.

And if a simple test shows I have lead in my water?

If you test your water and get a positive result for lead, then we suggest having your water tested by a qualified water testing laboratory so that you can determine the extent of contamination and begin your search for the appropriate water treatment system.  Sites like Filter-Drinking-Water.Com, FilterWater.Com, and FiltersFast.Com offer selections of filters that efficiently reduce quantities of lead and other unwanted heavy metals in drinking water.

Manganese in Water Test

Arsenic in Water Test Kit

Cyanide in Water Test Kit

The USEPA set as a Primary Drinking Water Standard the level of 15 ppb dissolved lead in drinking water. Reaching or exceeding this level, for a water treatment plant, means the plant must immediately act to reduce the level. Failing to do so could result in substantial fines from the USEPA.

Why test for lead?

Scientific studies have shown that prolonged consumption of lead in water may result in learning disabilities, muscular disorders, damage to the kidneys, and a host of other unwanted health problems.

I have city water… so why should I test for lead?

Lead can show up in city/municipal/public water supplies. Why? Older water systems may still have metal tubing in use that, in older days, workers used solder (which contained an amount of lead) to join together.

Over time water makes its way through the joints to the solder and then lead slowly enters the water supply. To make matters worse, older homes that contain copper plumbing usually have joints fused together with solder that contains lead — and no State, Local or Federal law can make homeowners or landlords replace older plumbing with newer, lead-free components.

Testing for other metals in water

If concerned about metals other than lead in your water, we also carry test products for mercury, chromium, zinc, total copper, total iron, manganese and a cumulative test for heavy metals.

For additional information on lead in drinking water

To learn more about the effects of consuming lead, how lead could potentially gets into your water, and information on removing lead from drinking water, please take a look at the lead archives section on the Water Testing Blog.

Should you wake up one day to alarmist stories about lead in YOUR drinking water, hopefully the following pieces of advice will help.

• Lead and other heavy metals leach out of plumbing, fixtures, etc. and accumulate in stagnant water so before you get a glass of water, put water in a pan for cooking, or make a bottle of baby formula… Run the water for a few minutes to flush out any lead that may have entered the water. For those concerned about the environmental impact(s) of running water for a few minutes before use, collect the water and use it to water the plants (just not in your vegetable garden!).
   
• Unlike commonly found forms of bacteria in drinking water which become inactive (aka: die) when water gets boiled, lead does NOT go away and, in fact, boiling water that contains lead or any other metal actually results in higher concentrations in the water after it gets boiled.
   
• When using water for consumption purposes (i.e. drinking, cooking, making baby bottles, watering pets, etc.), always use the cold water option. Colder water absorbs metals at a slower rate than warm or hot water.
   
• Most faucets these days come equipped with aerators (some people refer to them as ‘strainers’) and these devices can accumulate lead and other unwanted contaminants over time. We suggest that you periodically remove the aerators and clean them.
   
• If the source of lead in water cannot get removed (i.e. ripping out your home’s plumbing and replacing it all) or the source comes from older supply lines belonging to the city, then installing a water treatment system (water filter) may make sense. Definitely check to make sure whatever system you choose has certifications for the removal and reduction of lead and any other unwanted drinking water contaminants in your water supply. Not all filters remove all contaminants!

We talk about older infrastructure (i.e. water service lines) a lot on this site because many of the water service lines running from the water treatment plant out to individual homes contain copper and lead elements that over time tend to dissolve into the water passing through them.

While the presence of dissolved copper in the water supply generally poses no health risks in the quantities normally seen in the public water supply, it can result result in unwanted and VERY difficult to remove staining on fixtures in the home. Additionally, owners of swimming pools and hot tubs get warned constantly of the dangers of not neutralizing or removing dissolved metals (like copper) prior to adding chemicals after filling up their pool or tub… else risk some serious stain problems that will cost a lot of money and elbow grease to remove!

The presence of lead in water, however, does pose a serious health risk according to pretty much every water quality expert and health agency. The USEPA requires public water systems to take action to immediately reduce levels of dissolved lead when they reach or exceed 15ppb (parts per billion).

OK, so why add phosphates to the water supply?

By maintaining a certain level of phosphates in the water supply, public water systems reduce the amount of copper and lead that can leech into the water. In layman’s terms, the phosphates ‘coat’ the metal surfaces and thus limit its exposure to the water passing through the lines.

I have well water, so I’m safe, right?

Actually, you may have larger concerns than just exposure to copper and lead. Public water supplies get monitored for a large assortment of various chemicals, compounds and water quality parameters on an ongoing basis whereas no one monitors the quality of the water coming from your well.

Getting back to the matter of copper and lead in well water, though, both metals occur naturally in the environment and may show up in well water without warning. Additionally, older homes may still contain copper plumbing that has lead laden solder holding its joints and unions together.

Lead in Water Test

Scientific studies have shown that prolonged consumption of lead in water may result in learning disabilities, muscular disorders, damage to the kidneys, and a host of other unwanted health problems.

I have city water... so why should I test for lead?

Lead can show up in city/municipal/public water supplies. Why? Older water systems may still have metal tubing in use that, in older days, workers used solder (which contained an amount of lead) to join together.

Over time water makes its way through the joints to the solder and then lead slowly enters the water supply. To make matters worse, older homes that contain copper plumbing usually have joints fused together with solder that contains lead -- and no State, Local or Federal law can make homeowners or landlords replace older plumbing with newer, lead-free components.

Testing for other metals in water

If concerned about metals other than lead in your water, we also carry test products for mercury, chromium, zinc, copper, total iron, and a cumulative test for heavy metals.

For additional information on lead in drinking water

To learn more about the effects of consuming lead, how lead could potentially gets into your water, and information on removing lead from drinking water, please take a look at the Lead section of the Water Testing Blog.

Home water test kits for lead?

The WaterSafe Lead in Water Test Kit makes testing for potentially dangerous levels of dissolved lead in drinking water a fast and easy process. Giving useful results in just minutes, the WaterSafe Lead Test lets you know if your drinking water contains more than 15 ppb (parts per billion) dissolved lead.

Total Copper in Water Test

Chromium in Water Test

Mercury in Water Test

“A recently completed study by the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection found the testing methods it requires water utilities to use nationwide systematically misses high lead levels. That can pose health hazards for everyone living in older homes, most of all for children.” ( source )

So… How did the older methodology of testing for dissolved lead in city water (all over the US and not just in Chicago!) fail? Quite simply, the old testing method focused primarily on the plumbing leading from the water connection at the water main out to the faucet… and disregarded the possibility that older service lines contained in an area’s infrastructure may contain lead components.

Potential sources of lead in drinking water:

• Residences constructed before 1986 more than likely have lead service lines between the building and the water main.
   
• Some homes may have copper piping joined together using solder that contains lead.
   
• Some brass faucets may contain trace amounts of lead that could leach into the water over time.
   
• Work done to repair damaged, older water mains will sometimes result in higher than normal amounts of lead finding its way into drinking water.

As a general rule health officials and water quality professionals all agree that lead in drinking water causes health problems — especially in the young and the very old.

Can the average person test for lead? Of course! WaterSafe manufactures an easy-to-use lead in water test kit that lets a person know if their water sample contains 15ppb or more dissolved lead.

Why 15ppb dissolved lead? The USEPA set the MCL (maximum contaminant level) for lead in its Primary Drinking Water Standards at 15ppb, meaning if a public water supply contains 15ppb (or more) of dissolved lead, the water treatment facility must take immediate action to correct the situation.

For additional information on lead in water, we suggest taking a look at the lead in drinking water information page on the USEPA web site.

Due to the rapid rate at which children’s brains grow, overexposure to a heavy metal like lead may result in altered development which could, ultimately, result in stunted development of a child’s brain.

Doesn’t lead poisoning have obvious symptoms?

In a word, “NO!”

Only after prolonged exposure will the signs and symptoms of overexposure to lead (or any other heavy metal for that matter) manifest themselves and by that time possibly irreparable damage may have already occurred.

How do children get exposed to lead?

Sadly, it can occur in a number of ways including, but not limited to:

• Older homes (mostly built prior to the 1970’s) may contain paint on their walls or radiators that contains lead as an additive.

  What if we painted over the older paint? Dust from the old paint will still exist in the home and small children really seem to enjoy picking at things… like bumps on the walls, baseboards, etc.

  Small children then, as we all know, also have curiosity about the taste of strange or new things like paint chips — and will in a lot of cases attempt to eat them if not caught in the act. Additionally, even if a parent catches a child with paint chips and takes them away, we have heard that the dust from the lead-bearing paint chips will not get removed from a child’s hands without a good scrubbing/washing.
   

• In past years several public uproars have occurred because it came to light that toys intended for small children contained outlandish levels of lead. Those toys, if chewed on or sucked on — as small children will often do — had the potential to administer seriously detrimental levels of lead to small children a short period of time.
   
• We recently read that some imported vinyl miniblinds also, at some point, contained potentially harmful levels of lead that could rub off on a child’s hands… and possibly wind up getting ingested when a child then puts its hand or hands into its mouth.
   
• Older plumbing and water service lines may contain piping that has joints connected with lead-bearing solder which, studies have shown, may eventually leach some of it’s lead into the water supply.
   
• Lead occurs naturally in nature which it very well could show up in ground water (well water). While lead pollution from natural sources usually does not make the news all that often, it can still happen.
   
• Not all manufacturing and industrial facilities properly treat and/or dispose of their process water before releasing it back into the environment. In some cases, due to the expenses associated with removing certain contaminants (like heavy metals), facilities will knowingly violate Local, State and Federal laws pertaining to allowable discharge levels of environmental contaminants into lakes, streams and even public sewer systems.
   

OK, now that we have painted a somewhat bleak outlook for children’s safety when comes to avoiding overexposure to a heavy metal like lead, please allow us to give you two pieces of advise: 1) Make sure children — and adults, too! — wash their hands thoroughly before eating, drinking, handling food or putting their hands into the eyes, nose or mouth; 2) Have your drinking water tested for lead.

Compared to the daunting task of stopping a small child from doing ‘normal’ kid things, periodically testing or having your water supply tested for the presence of lead and/or other potentially unwanted drinking water contaminants is a proverbial walk in the park!

How can I test my water for lead?

Earlier in the article we posted a picture of the WaterSafe Lead in Water Test Kit… because it quickly lets home and business owners know if their water contains dissolved lead in concentrations of 15ppb (parts per billion) or greater.

Why 15ppb? Simple: The USEPA set the MCL (maximum contaminant level) for dissolved lead in drinking water at 15ppb. If during routine testing a public water system discovers that the dissolved lead concentration in its water has reached or exceeded 15ppb, they must immediately take action to bring that level down.

Will the WaterSafe Lead Test tell you a precise number for a water supply’s lead concentration? No, but you also must remember that the test does cost only $10 in most places — like our Water Test Kit Store.

How can I get a more precise lead test?

We suggest starting with a call to your local water and health departments to see if they have any free or discounted testing programs available. If not, then ask one or both departments for a list of certified water testing laboratories in the area.

And finally, if both those efforts fail, we know for sure that National Testing Laboratories offers a number of comprehensive mail-in water testing services that include testing for lead in water and get performed by certified and accredited water testing facilities.

Flush your home’s water lines for a bit when you return from vacation

When water sits stagnant for a while any residual disinfectant can lose its efficacy and bacteria could begin to grow. Also, the water may start to take on contaminants from the plumbing if it sits in contact with fixtures, pipes, etc. for an extended period of time.

People living in older homes should definitely consider flushing their water lines after a few days away from home since older homes more than likely have older copper plumbing that may have gotten connected using lead-based solder. The longer the water sits idle in metal plumbing the greater the risk of metals dissolving into the water.

Testing for metals in drinking water?

Typically the action level, or concentration of dissolved metals in water that warrants immediate action on the part of homeowners as suggested by the USEPA, gets measured in parts per BILLION so make certain the test kit you select can accurately detect concentrations of dissolved metals in the parts per billion range.

We have found that the SenSafe Heavy Metals Check test strips do an excellent job of detect the presence of dissolved metals in the parts per billion range. This product has a low detection level of just 10 ppb, requires no formal training, and has a total test time of well under 5 minutes.

Why test for metals like lead in drinking water?

Time and time again studies have shown a direct correlation between the presence of dissolved heavy metals such as lead in drinking water and birth defects, developmental disabilities in children, gastrointestinal disorders, organ damage, etc.

In many cases the dissolved metals in a home’s drinking water will have no distinct taste, color or smell to them and still exist in concentrations linked to the health issues mentioned above. Only testing for metals in drinking water on a regular basis can alert homeowners to their presence.

What juice brands contained arsenic? Name brands you might recognize included Minute Maid, Mott’s, Gerber, Welch’s, and Great Value ( source )

Did other brands ring in as containing arsenic, as well? Yes, and the same study also explored the lead content in various juices — and discovered that an alarming number of juice brands contained unsettling amounts of lead.

Scary times, in our opinion, when juice manufacturers — or the manufacturers of ANY food or beverage product — do not take into consideration contaminant levels like lead or arsenic regardless of whether or not the levels violate Federal Law.

We believe that companies who produce products intended for use or consumption by children really ought to hold themselves to higher standards than Federal Laws mandate since laws dictating food & beverage products — and possibly every aspect of our lives — only go on the books AFTER something becomes a problem, people get sick, someone dies, etc.

Many of you may have seen episodes of murder mystery shows where the killer used arsenic to poison his/her victims… because it WORKS as a lethal poison in the right doses and also causes debilitating conditions with prolonged exposure at lower levels.

Find more information on arsenic and test kits for arsenic in places like water, soil and wood below:

• Basic Information About Arsenic
• Arsenic Test Kits (water, soil, wood)
• Arsenic Quick Test Kits
• Arsenic Category on Water Testing Blog

We mentioned lead in the title of this article… so we will now tell you that the same study mentioned above ALSO determined that popular brands of juice contained higher than expected levels of lead, too.

For those not knowledgeable about lead in water or the effects of lead on the human body — especially young children — it will suffice to say that it does bad, bad things and you do not want it in your food or water.

Over the years we have posted numerous articles about lead in water, testing for lead in water and various ways to remove lead from drinking water. Check out those lead in water postings in the Water Testing Blog ‘Lead’ Archives.

In tests of 44 properties in Jasper County, 19 showed high levels of lead, prompting the city’s mayor to ask the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for help in testing for, and cleaning up, the element, according to the Los Angeles Times.

For more than 100 years, beginning in the mid-19th century, Jasper County was at the worldwide forefront of lead and zinc mining. The area included town names like Leadville Hollow and Minersville.

According to Dan Pekarek, director of the Joplin Health Department, a waste product from lead mining called “chat” was dumped in several spots around the city of Joplin, and simply covered with soil. Those sites we likely exposed when the F-5 tornado ripped through the city. ( source )

So… What does that mean for the residents of Joplin in terms of water quality and drinking water safety? It means they will more than likely begin regular testing for lead and other potentially dangerous metals in their drinking water!

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined that consuming food and drink containing levels of lead at or above 15ppb (parts per billion) can cause serious health problems.

Why did companies dump ‘chat’ all over the place?

At the time no one probably knew the dangers posed by the material so government did not really care where the material ended up. Hence the reason the article mentioned how people used it as fill material under houses, in yards, etc.

Now, however, science and the medical profession both agree that material containing such high levels of lead pose quite a threat, mining companies would need piles and piles of permits before they could dispose of a substance like ‘chat’ and they would more than likely remain on the hook for the safety of surrounding areas for many years.

Testing for lead in water?

Can the average person test for the presence of lead in their water? Absolutely! A company called WaterSafe manufactures a Lead in Water Test Kit, for monitoring levels of dissolved lead in water.

Simple and easy to use, the WaterSafe Lead in Water Test Kit usually costs around $10 and provides presence/absence results for levels of lead in water 15ppb or greater.