Lead · in your tap water
Old plumbing · neurological harm in kids
Lead enters drinking water primarily from corrosion of older plumbing — lead service lines, the lead solder used in copper plumbing before the 1986 federal ban, and older brass fixtures. EPA's 'action level' is 15 ppb — being lowered to 10 ppb under the 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which also require utilities to replace lead service lines within 10 years — but the EPA health goal is zero, and the AAP, CDC, and EWG agree there is NO safe level of lead in water for kids.
Test before you assume. If your house was built before 1986, there's a real chance.
The long-standing EPA 'action level' is 15 ppb, but the health goal is zero. The 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements lower the action level to 10 ppb and require utilities to replace lead service lines within 10 years. There is no safe level of lead for children.
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Every source below was checked to make sure the link works and backs the claim it's next to. These are the primary regulators and peer-reviewed studies — not our opinion.
Action level of 15 ppb, health goal of zero, and the corrosion/service-line/solder sources.
The 2024 rule lowering the action level to 10 ppb and mandating lead-pipe replacement.
Confirms the Oct 8, 2024 finalization and 10-year service-line replacement timeline.
Blood-lead reference value of 3.5 µg/dL; no safe level of lead in children.
Directs consumers to a point-of-use filter certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead.
No exposure level is known to be without harm; IQ and behavioral effects in children.
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Get my free water report Book a free checkupThis page is general water-quality education, not medical advice. Health classifications and limits are attributed to the EPA, EWG, IARC, ATSDR/CDC, WHO and the cited studies. Contaminant levels vary by water system and home — the only way to know what's in your water is to test it. Prepared by SwiftPro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing.