Toxic lead in water isn’t just a problem in Flint
The stories out of Flint, Michigan seem to get worse by the day.
By now I’m sure you’ve seen the coverage splashed all over the news. Thanks to some major government goof-ups, the people of Flint have been drinking water contaminated with high levels of lead for two years.
And that’s left lots of moms, dads and grandparents scrambling, wondering if their children and grandchildren have been damaged for life.
But you don’t have to live in Flint to have lead in your water.
In millions of homes across America, taps are spitting out water with toxic levels of lead every day. It’s a serious risk that many people aren’t even aware of.
But by taking some simple precautions, you can keep the kids in your life (and yourself) from being poisoned by this invisible threat.
That’s the message that Hope Taylor, executive director of Clean Water for North Carolina, recently delivered to Charlotte residents worried about lead in their water.
But those words should be an alarm bell sounding for the entire country.
Taylor, who served on the National Drinking Water Advisory Council, said that many cities still have lead service lines that can leach lead right into your drinking water.
But that’s just one of the ways this heavy metal can wind up in your ice water, coffee, and tea.
In Flint, as you probably know, local officials tried to save a buck by drawing water from the Flint River. But it was so corrosive that it easily leached lead from old pipes and water fixtures into the tap water.
But even if your water isn’t highly acidic, if your home was built before 1986 it probably has lead plumbing fixtures — things including faucets, pipes, fittings and the solder that keeps them together.
Newer homes aren’t immune either. If your home was built just over two years ago, it still could have been constructed with “lead free” pipes that actually can contain up to 8 percent lead!
And when water sits in those pipes for even just a few hours, it can easily draw lead into your water.
Now, lots of people will tell you that we — and especially our kids — are safer from lead than ever before. After all, we all grew up pumping leaded gasoline, using lead-based paint, and playing with toys that were loaded with the stuff.
But we’re learning that lead exposure is even more dangerous than we ever thought. A few years ago the CDC revised the level considered acceptable in a child’s blood — by cutting it in half!
And most scientists will tell you that there’s no level of lead that’s safe. When kids are exposed to lead it can lower their IQs and cause symptoms similar to ADHD.
And for us adults, the news isn’t much better. Lead can cause memory loss, fatigue, and digestive problems — and it can stay in our systems for years.
Obviously we can’t depend on our government to keep lead out of our water (just ask anyone living in Flint). But there are some simple ways you can take matters into your own hands, such as:
- Getting your tap water tested, either with a home testing kit or by having your local water company take a sample. You can buy do-it-yourself kits at most home improvement stores.
- Calling your local water utility and asking for a copy of its “Consumer Confidence Report.” That will list all of the contaminants they’re finding in the water supply. Water providers are required by federal law to run these tests regularly, so no matter what you’re told, the results are available.
- Filtering your drinking water. Remember that things like the acidity of your water and how much lead your pipes leach can change over time. Just be sure to get a water filter that says it’s certified under NSF/ANSI standards for lead removal.
- Never using hot water from the tap for cooking. Warm or hot tap water will contain much higher levels of lead, which won’t be reduced by boiling.
Sources:
“How to test for lead in your home water supply” Sandee LaMotte, January 21, 2016, CNN, cnn.com
