Reducing your exposure to lead in tap water

When lead is present in plumbing components, there are simple things you can do to reduce your exposure.

Run cold water from your faucets

• Flushing your plumbing is an effective way to get rid of the water that has been sitting  in your pipes for several hours with use, such as first thing in the morning, after work or upon returning from vacation. Whether or not lead is an issue in your home, running the cold water taps used for drinking and cooking after the water has been standing for several hours is a good practice to improve the water quality in general. 

• Let the water run for two to five minutes from every cold water to used for drinking or cooking. This brings fresh water from the main into your home. Even if you do not have a lead service line, plumbing fixtures like faucets, valves and solder can contain small amounts of lead. Flushing still helps reduce lead exposure.

• There are ways to flush lines and conserve water. Showering, washing clothes, flushing the toilet and running the dishwasher are effective methods for allowing fresh water from the distribution system to enter household pipes.

Never use water from the hot water tap for cooking or mixing baby formula

• Hot water causes higher amounts of lead to be released from plumbing materials. Also, hot water heaters are sources of bacteria and other metals.

Remove and clean faucet aerators

• Sediment and lead particles can be trapped by the screen on the end of faucets. Regularly remove and clean these.

Replace lead service lines

• If your portion of the service line is lead or galvanized pipe, replace it.

• Fort Worth has replaced the known city-owned lead service lines. 

Replace all lead plumbing components

• Homes and businesses without lead service lines could still have other plumbing components that contain lead, such as lead piping, brass or chrome-plated brass faucets, galvanized pipes or lead solder.

• When purchasing replacement plumbing products, make sure the products have been tested and certified to “lead-free” standards. Look for plumbing products that are certified as compliant with Standard NSF/ANSI 61 and/or 372. These products are certified to meet the lead-free requirement.

Use a water filter

• There are home "point-of-use" filters certified for lead removal. It is important that the model you select is certified by an independent testing organization to reduce or eliminate lead (NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead removal and NSF/ANSI standard 42 for particulate removal).

• If you use a home treatment device, make sure it is properly maintained. Failure to replace filters at the intervals specified by the manufacture can result in water contamination. This applies to filters used on water dispensers in refrigerators and ice makers.

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Drain your water heater annually

Metals, sediment and bacteria can build up over time in your water heater. A licensed plumber can drain it for anyone uncomfortable doing it themselves.