Clean Water and Lead in Plumbing

Numerous elements and minerals are present in our drinking water. Some occur naturally. Others enter or leach into the water on the journey from utility to faucet. Some of these elements are linked to emotional issues; most notably, lead.

Facts about Lead piping and Safe Drinking Water

• Lead in Plumbing Today
• Clean Water and Faucets
• Lead-Free Faucets
• Eliminating Lead in Plumbing
• Clean Water and Imported Plumbing Products

Lead in Plumbing Today

Aging infrastructures, including pipe and plumbing system components, are the main contributors of trace amounts of lead in the water supply today:

• Nearly all homes built prior to the 1980s still have lead solder connecting copper pipes.
• Some major U.S. cities still have 100 percent lead piping bringing water from the utilities to homes and businesses. The dissolved oxygen in the water combines with the metal at the surface (copper, zinc or lead) to form a metal oxide. This oxidation layer naturally develops through the decades to coat lead piping. When water conditions require it, water utilities also add lime or orthophosphates as a further barrier to prevent lead from getting into drinking water. When water chemistry is carefully controlled, it prevents dangerous levels of lead from entering the drinking water system.
• Some plumbing products contain minute amounts of lead.

Back to top

Clean Water and Faucets

Most bathroom faucets sold in the U.S. and around the world are made from brass, a mix of copper, zinc and a minute amount of lead. Lead seals microscopic cracks that occur between the copper and zinc crystals as they cool, and provides the malleability for brass to be forged and converted into the machined components that are vital parts of every faucet.

In 2006, the American Waterworks Association Research Foundation (AWWARF) concluded that faucet lead levels in the U.S. leach less than 2 parts per billion, far below the allowable 11 parts per billion.

Back to top

Lead-Free Faucets

In recent years, a number of brass alloys have largely replaced the lead in faucets. These materials include bismuth, silicon, selenium, and phosphorous, all of which provide different material properties, depending on the amount used and method of processing. While none yet effectively duplicates the performance of leaded brass, several types have been employed by some plumbing fitting manufacturers for certain applications.

In the fall of 2007, California passed AB 1953, a law that requires all faucets sold in the state after January 1, 2010, to contain no more than 0.25 percent lead. The law does not address lead levels in the drinking water itself, which remains subject to the terms of the state's Proposition 65.

AB 1953 has created a race against the clock for manufacturers, not unlike the legislative deadlines imposed on the industry in the 1990s to reduce flush volumes in toilets. As of early 2008, it is unclear whether using alternative alloys in faucets will resist leaching and meet the conditions of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Manufacturers are testing and innovating literally 24/7 in laboratories around the world to meet the requirements of California's laws and its residents, most especially in the area of public safety.

Back to top

Eliminating Lead in Plumbing

It is essential to the nation's health that lead piping systems be upgraded, a task estimated by the EPA in 2003 to cost $276.8 billion and take more than 20 years achieve. In the meantime, the best protection for the U.S. public is the ongoing testing and monitoring of what makes up our drinking water. The amount of lead and other minerals that actually leach into the water is far more critical than how much is used to manufacture the products that come in contact with the drinking water.

Example: The EPA allows faucets to be sold in the U.S. that do not leach more than 11 parts per billion of the lead into water during a 20-day test. That is similar to a teaspoon of water in an Olympic-sized pool. The EPA's criteria is in accordance with SDWA, taking into account the extremes of potable water chemistry that interact with the pipes and faucets across the U.S. Contrary to some erroneous claims, faucets do not increase the amount of minerals that are leached over time.

Back to top

Clean Water and Imported Plumbing Products

EPA officials addressing the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute Fall 2007 Meeting said that the EPA has reason to believe that faucets are being imported into the U.S. that contain lead in excess of the SDWA requirements of 11 parts per billion.

EPA is coordinating with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to identify imports that violate U.S. standards, working with environmental and law enforcement agencies to share information about noncompliant or suspect imports. Learn more on EPA's special import site by visiting here.

Back to top

For more information on any of these topics, visit the drinking water section of the EPA website.