Drinking Water_Content Page_Drinking water and lead

Drinking water and lead

Lead is a common metal. Although originally used in many consumer products, lead is now known to be harmful to human health if ingested or inhaled. It can be found in lead-based paint, air, soil, household dust, food, some types of pottery and drinking water. When people come in contact with lead, it may enter their bodies and accumulate over time, resulting in damage to the brain, nervous system, red blood cells and kidneys.

Health effects of lead exposure

Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have an increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.

Contact your health care provider if you have any health-related questions or your local health department to find out if your child needs to be tested for lead.

How lead gets in drinking water

Lead can enter drinking water through the corrosion of your home's plumbing materials and water lines connecting your home to a water main. In Wisconsin, a 1984 law banned lead solder, but nationally, the laws weren’t implemented until 1988. Some drinking water fixtures were manufactured with lead until 1996 and may have included small amounts of lead in brass components until 2014.

Check out the EPA's illustration showing where lead can be found in drinking water.

Get the lead out: ways to reduce lead exposure to drinking water

  • Check whether your home has a lead service line or lead-containing plumbing materials by visiting the EPA’s Protect Your Tap: Quick Lead Check.
    • If you have a lead service line connecting to the water main, work with community and water utility officials. It's important to replace these service lines in their entirety.
    • If you have water fixtures or plumbing that may contain lead, replace them with lead-free materials where possible.
    • If you need help determining whether your home has lead plumbing materials or fixtures, consider contacting a plumbing professional.
  • Consider testing your water for lead.
    • Testing is the only way to know whether lead is present in your drinking water. Contact a certified laboratory for a test kit and sampling instructions, or hire a plumbing professional to assist you.
  • Flush the water before drinking.
    • If you have a lead service line, fixture or plumbing materials, flush the pipes before drinking the water by running the tap water, doing laundry, taking a shower or doing a load of dishes. If you choose to flush the pipes by running the tap water, do this for 3-5 minutes, or reach out to your local water utility for recommendations on flushing times specific to your location.
  • Clean faucet aerators regularly.
  • Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula.
    • Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily in hot water.
  • Do not boil water to remove lead.
    • Boiling water can increase the concentration of lead.
  • Consider an approved water filter for lead reduction.

Drinking water regulations

Wisconsin's public water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. For lead, systems are required to:

  • Collect and analyze water samples from specific sites;
  • Notify the consumer of the test results;
  • Publish a consumer confidence report summarizing the test results and make the report available to all consumers of community water systems;
  • Take action to reduce lead in drinking water when an action level exceedance* occurs and post a public notice to inform the community; and
  • Provide annual public education to inform all drinking water consumers after a lead action level exceedance occurs.

The DNR sends lead sampling instructions to public water systems when sampling is required:

Sampling for lead or other contaminants is encouraged but not required for private well owners.

*A lead action level exceedance occurs when more than 10% of the sample results exceed 15 parts per billion of lead.

Other sources of lead

Drinking water is not the only source of lead. Lead can be found in dust, paint, soil and air. It can even be present in ceramics, gasoline, batteries, ammunition and cosmetics.

To learn how to protect yourself from other potential exposure sources, please visit the Lead-Safe Wisconsin: Where is Lead Commonly Found in Wisconsin? webpage.

More information

Corrosion Control Treatment

Lead Service Line Inventory

Environmental loans