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what about lead in pipes? Can I detect if there is lead in the water I drink?
by neves 2y ago
what about lead in pipes?
Can I detect if there is lead in the water I drink?
- toast0 2y agoIt's easy to determine if pipes are made of lead if you can access the pipes. It's less easy to determine if they have some residual lead from upstream pipes that's settled into the corrosion layer on the inside of the pipe (and could be released later) There are testing services and test strips available for testing your water, which works even if you can't access all the pipes on the way between your source and your sink. A testing service will likely check for a list of contaminants and not simply lead, and most likely have better accuracy and precision than test strips you use yourself.
- euroderf 2y agoI would assume they want you to run hot water, not cold, for samples.
- bottom999mottob 2y agoSediments including lead tend to accumulate at the bottom of water heaters, so you'd be measuring the accumulated lead and not the locality's with this assumption.
- euroderf 2y agoAh, right, okay.
- Terr_ 2y ago> There are testing services and test strips available for testing your water With the caution that some of the cheaper tests (especially through online sales) may be counterfeit or have a bad error-rate.
- thephyber 2y agoMy county water district publishes the monthly report of detected levels of all of the regulated items: https://www.valleywater.org/your-water/water-quality/water-quality-reports https://www.valleywater.org/your-water/water-quality/water-q... They also say that lead is rarely injected into the water supply from the water supplier or water mains, but usually much closer to the home (eg. “Goosenecks”).
- anyfoo 2y agoIn San Francisco, you just call the city. They'll give you a few bottles to fill, which they will test. I remember that they even came by personally to either deliver or get them. (Or both?)