HOW  DOES  LEAD

   GET INTO WATER?

Lead enters the water
("leaches") through contact
with the plumbing.

Lead leaches into water through:
• Corrosion  of
   - Pipes
   - Solder
   - Fixtures and Faucets (brass)
   - Fittings
• Particles caught in aerators

Water characteristics, such as pH,
hardness and temperature, affect the
amount of leaching.
    WHY SHOULD WE

   TEST  THE WATER?

Lead is a health risk to infants and
children.

Exposure to  lead is a significant
health concern, especially for
pregnant women, young children and
infants, whose growing bodies tend to
absorb more lead than the average
adult. Drinking  water is one possible
exposure route for lead. A dose of
lead can have a big effect on a little
body, especially an infant whose diet
is mostly liquid.

The longer water remains in contact
with  leaded plumbing,  the more
opportunity exists for lead to leach
into the water. Facilities with
prolonged periods of no water usage,
such  as schools and day cares, may
have elevated lead concentrations in
the water.

Many children spend a significant
part of their days at school or in a
child care facility. The fixtures that
provide water for consumption,
including drinking, cooking lunch, and
preparing juice and infant formula,
should be tested.

Testing is the only way to confirm if
lead is present or absent.
Lead solder with more than 0.2% lead
and plumbing with more than 8% lead
were banned in 1987.  Buildings did
not have to be  built with certified
"lead-free" fixtures until 1997.
Even new, certified components can
leach some lead.
                                                                                      Water System tests do not give the
                                                                                      whole picture.

                                                                                      Most water systems test for lead as
                                                                                      a regular part of water monitoring.
                                                                                      These tests give a system-wide
                                                                                      picture but do not reflect  conditions
                                                                                      at a specific drinking water outlet.

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      HOW  DO WE

 PARTICIPATE IN THE

 LEAD-FREE DRINKING

   WATER PROGRAM?

• Develop a sampling plan.
• Take water samples.
• Use a certified lab to analyze
     water samples.
• Replace outlets with lead-
     free components, as
     necessary.

EPA's guidance, "Lead in Drinking
Water in School and Nonresidential
Buildings" and "Sampling for Lead in
Drinking Water in Nursery Schools
and Day Care Facilities," can help
schools and day cares achieve lead-
free drinking water. Obtain these
documents through
www.epa.gov/safewater/Pu bs.

See this site for more tools to help
achieve lead-free drinking water:
www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/schoola
nddccs.htm
 HOTLINES AND

 INFORMATION

 National Lead Information Center:
      800-424-LEAD
 EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline:
      800-426-4791
 Drinking Water Information:
 www.epa.gov/safewater/lead
 Plumbing Standards:
 www.nsf.oro
vvEPA
    iv nnmtnlal Pratt* or
WHAT CAN I DO TO REDUCE LEAD
RISK AT MY HOME?
•  After the water is stagnant for
     several hours, flush pipes until
     you feel the temperature
     change before cooking,
     drinking, or brushing teeth.
•  Use only cold water for cooking and
     drinking. Never cook or mix
     infant formula using hot water.
•  Have your water tested.
                    EPA Region III
              Water Protection Division
                  EPA 903-F-01-002
                       April 2002

    Printed on 100% recycled/recyclable paper.
 IS  THERE  LEAD
       IN  THE
     DRINKING
       WATER?

You can reduce the risk of lead
 exposure from drinking water
    in educational facilities.
 Le                    her
 In  Schools and Day Cares

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