Protecting Children's Health
vvEPA
FACT SHEET
Know Your Plumbing!
Remediate lead in drinking water in child care facilities
Why is this important?
This factsheet is intended for child care facilities specializing in early care and education programs, including
center-based and family child care homes, pre-kindergarten programs, as well as Head Start and Early Head
Start Programs, The EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20 percent or more of a person's total
exposure to lead. Infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive 40 percent to 60 percent of their
exposure to lead from drinking water.
Potential Sources of Lead in Drinking Water
There is no safe level of lead in drinking
water, especially for children. Among
other effects, in children, even low levels
of lead exposure can cause cognitive
health effects like lower intelligence
quotient (IQ) as well as learning and
behavioral problems. This document
presents examples of common drinking
water lead sources, potential lead sources,
and non-lead source piping, along with
actions to take to reduce exposure to lead.
Faucets
Copper Pipe with
Lead Solder
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CHILD CARE
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Galvanized Pipe
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Goose Neck
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Building Inlet
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Lead Source Pipe
Lead Pipe
Lead is a dull, gray, soft metal. Lead pipes are easily scratchable with a coin or butter knife
and show a silver color as a result of the scratch. A magnet will not cling to a lead pipe. In
some buildings the service lines, which connect interior plumbing to the main water line,
can be made of lead. A lead service line (LSL) can be connected to other pipe materials using
solder and have a bulb-like shape at the connection. The |^|^is one marker of a lead pipe.
Additionally, lead connectors, often called goose necks and pigtails, are shorter lead pipes that
connect the LSL to the main and are a source of lead.
Potential Lead Source Pipe
Galvanized Steel (Iron) Pipe
While new galvanized steel (iron) pipes are gray and silver colored,
old galvanized steel (iron) pipes can be dark brown, gray, or even
black colored on the surface. A magnet will easily cling to galvanized
steel (iron) and pipes will not scratch easily. Another identifier may
be the threading at the end of the pipe, which can be seen on the
left in the silver pipe photo.
Brass Pipe
With a golden color, brass pipes are an alloy mainly made of
copper and zinc. Brass plumbing installed before 2014 are likely
to contain lead in solder and/or plumbing components may have
at
lead in the alloy. An identifier of brass piping is the threading
the end of the pipe, seen in the photo.
Note: Galvanized steel (iron)
pipes will corrode easily and
galvanized zinc layers may have
traces of lead. In addition,
corrosion inside these pipes can
collect metals (including lead if
a lead source is upstream) on
the wali scales overtime. These
scales with metal particles could
be released into drinking water
spontaneously. Households
and commercial buildings built
before 2014 are likely to contain
lead in solder and/or plumbing
components.
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Other Potential Sources of Lead
Lead in water can come from many other sources besides piping, such as solder, brass fixtures/fittings, faucets,
and water fountains:
Lead Solder
Silver in color, lead
solder
was commonly used to connect copper piping and plumbing together. Before
1987, lead solder may have had lead content up to 50% or more by weight.
Brass Faucets, Fittings, and Valves
Similar to a brass pipe, with a golden color, brass components are an alloy mostly made with copper
and zinc. Brass components made before 2014 are likely to contain lead in solder and/or plumbing
components.
Older Drinking Water Fountains
Older drinking water fountains/coolers, faucets, and plumbing installed prior to 2014 are likely to contain
lead. Solder and/or plumbing components may have lead linings, lead solder, or brass components that can
be a source of lead. Older brass faucets, fittings, and valves are a potential source of lead.
If you have older water fountains in your building, review the list of banned water fountains to ensure you
don't have any in your facility: 3Ts Module 4: Developing a Sampling Plan -- Lead Water Coolers Banned in 1988
Non-Lead Source Pipe
Copper
New copper piping has the color of a U.S. penny. Older copper can look duller, or have green tints. Copper
can be easily scratched and will show a shiny copper color as a result of the scratch. A magnet will not
cling to copper pipes. It is a common choice for water lines and has high corrosion resistance. Copper
pipes do not have threading at the ends of the pipe, but older copper piping can have lead solder.
PVC (Polyvinylchloride)
Generally white or gray in color, PVC pipes are in the plastic category and commonly used for water and
wastewater plumbing in residential buildings. This type of pipe is not a source of lead in drinking water.
PEX (Crosslink Polyethylene)
In the plastic category, PEX piping can be red, blue, white, or black in color. This type of
pipe is not a source of lead in drinking water.
To know if there is lead in your drinking water, the EPA recommends the best practice of testing the water from each
fixture used for human consumption. In some inventories, the service line material may be unknown. Smaller child care facilities
operated out of single family residences could be more likely to be served by an LSL based on the diameter of the service line. Focus
identification activities on locations where service lines are less than two inches in diameter.
There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Children are most susceptible to the effects of lead because their bodies are still
developing; therefore, they tend to absorb more lead from any source, including drinking water, than adults.
A water sample is a snapshot of the lead level taken at the time it was col-
lected. Prior water samples of low or non-detected lead levels should not
be used to assume that an outlet or facility is lead free. Lead levels at an
outlet or within a building have been shown to vary over time.
Regularly scheduled testing and routine maintenance are essential to
reducing lead in drinking water. Consult with your public water system
(PWS) for guidance.
Results from one outlet should not be used to generalize the lead levels at
other outlets in the facility. Lead contamination can occur both in fixtures
and in building plumbing, so a sample taken at any given outlet is not
representative of the entire facility.
Buildings and fixtures built before 1990 are
most likely to have lead solder and/or plumb-
ing components that contain lead. The 1986
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments
included a "lead ban" requirement stating that
only "lead free" materials could be used in
new plumbing and plumbing repairs. However,
it is likely that lead pipes, high-lead solder, and
fluxes were used until 1990. The Reduction of
Lead in Drinking Water Act of 2011, effective
in 2014, made the definition of "lead free"
more stringent by lowering the maximum lead
content permitted.
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Alloy
A mixture of two or more metals. Examples of common alloys are stainless steel, brass,
and bronze.
Building Inlet
The point at which the service line connects to premise plumbing. The location of the
building inlet may vary and may be located inside or at the building structure.
Corrosion
The gradual break down or destruction of a material by chemical action.
Lead Service
Line (LSL)
A service line is the pipe that connects the water main to the plumbing in a home or
building. When any part of that pipe is made of lead, it is called a lead service line (LSL).
Plumbing
Plumbing is any system that carries drinking water for a wide range of applications.
Plumbing uses pipes, valves, fixtures, tanks, and other equipment to carry water.
Program Remediation
Trigger (PRT)
States are required to establish a PRT lead level in parts per billion under the Voluntary
School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction grant program. The PRT level is used
to prioritize remediation activities in schools, child care facilities, and PWSs under the
jurisdiction of the local educational agencies that serve these facilities.
Shut-off Valve
A small local valve used to control the flow of water to a plumbing fixture such as a
faucet, tub, toilet, or other fixture.
Upstream
Any point in the plumbing system that water has traveled through before getting to
the plumbing, pipes, valves, or fixtures being tested.
Zinc
Zinc is a common element in nature and is the main component of galvanized coatings
used to protect iron surfaces.
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You Have Results, What Next?
Result
Meaning
Example
Actions to
Take
Immediate Response
• Follow actions as
determined in your 3Ts
plan
• Share the test results
with your stakeholders
(see templates!
Permanent Actions
• Continue testing,
monitoring, and other
routine maintenance
measures in your 3Ts
plan to ensure there
is not lead in the
plumbing system
• Consider implementing
additional 3Ts
routine practices like
maintenance flushing
and aerator cleaning
Non-detect
Below the PRT*
Above the PRT*
There is no detectable
amount of lead in the
sample tested.
Lead was detected in the sample tested and
actions should be taken to reduce lead levels.
Lead was detected in the sample tested and may require immediate
action to reduce lead levels.
Immediate Actions
• Use your actions as determined in your 3Ts plan
• Share test results with your stakeholders (see
templates!
• Post a sign at the fixture to inform that lead was
found and any action the user should take
Short-Term Actions
• Provide and maintain point of use (POU) filters at
problem taps
• Flush problem taps prior to use
• Provide bottled water
Permanent Actions
• After performing further sampling to pinpoint the
source of lead, consider the following long-term
remediation solutions:
• Providing and maintaining POU filters at
problem taps
• Replacing problem outlets
• Replacing lead pipes
• Reconfiguring plumbing
• Continue testing, monitoring, and other routine
maintenance measures in your 3Ts plan to ensure
there is not lead in the plumbing system
• Consider implementing additional 3Ts routine
practices like maintenance flushing and aerator
cleaning
Use actions as recommended in 3Ts Module 6:
Immediate Actions
• Use your actions as determined in your 3Ts plan
• Shut off problem fixtures
• Post "Not for Consumption" signs at problem fixtures
• Share test results with your stakeholders (see templates)
• Reach out to your water system for guidance
• Increase awareness and public education (see posters and factsheets)
Short-Term Actions
• Provide and maintain POU filters at problem taps
• Flush problem taps prior to use
• Provide bottled water
• Reach out to your water system for guidance
Permanent Actions
• After performing further sampling to pinpoint the source of lead, consider the
following long-term remediation solutions:
• Providing and maintaining POU filters at problem taps
• Replacing problem outlets
• Replacing lead pipes
• Reconfiguring plumbing
Follow-Up Sampling
• Ensure additional samples are taken before your facility opens or water is used
• Take samples from fixtures that have been remediated via fixture or pipe
replacement, or plumbing reconfiguration
• Compare results to original samples to determine if remediation efforts were
successful
*lf you are a recipient of funding from your state Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program through the WIIN Act, the state will provide you with a PRT. The PRT is
the lead level at which you may be required to take remediation action. Contact your state program for your PRT.
Office of Water (4606M)
EPA 815-F-25-002
January 2025
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