How to Treat Lead in Water and Tapware

Hot water bath

Lead is something all of us encounter daily. From our air and soil to household dust and paint, however, not many of us are aware that this potentially dangerous metal is also often found lurking in our tap water.

A study from 2016 found that low-level lead water contamination was frighteningly widespread in Australian homes.

The culprit, in this case, was mostly brass tapware fittings, though there are other reasons why there may be lead in your home’s tap water including:

  • Your home has been fitted with lead pipes (these are mostly older homes built prior to the 1930s).
  • Your home or community pipes or fixtures are decaying (you’ll notice leaking, rusty-coloured water and stained dishes if this is the case)
  • Cheap tapware brought from overseas that does not comply with Australian standards. There have also been instances where an Aldi tap was found to have high levels of lead.

The most accurate way to check for lead in your water is to have it tested by a professional. This is because lead cannot be tasted, seen, or smelled.

Why lead needs to be removed from water and tapware

Long term exposure to lead can cause a number of significant health issues, especially if you have infants, young children, or pregnant women in the home.

  • Lead exposure has been known to cause damage to the brain
  • The kidneys
  • Red blood cells

The stakes are even higher for young children. Babies and children exposed to lead can suffer from hearing problems as well as mental and physical impairments.

How much lead is too much in our drinking water

According to Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, 0.01mg per litre of lead in our drinking water is “safe” (previously the number was 0.05mg per litre). Despite the acknowledgement of lead being unsafe in our water, there is no enforced monitoring of lead contamination in public water supplies on both a local and national level. This makes it all the more important that we are personally diligent in having our water tested for the safety of our families and our communities.

Tips for treating lead in water and tapware

The first and most important step is requesting that your local water be tested for the presence of lead. Anything above 0.01mg per litre is unsafe and unacceptable.

You can also reduce your exposure to lead on a daily basis by:

1. Running your cold water tap for up to 30 seconds

If the cold water tap hasn’t been used for over six hours, allow it to run for up to 30 seconds before using that water for cooking or drinking.

2. Avoid using water from the hot water tap

Lead is more apparent in hot water, so try to avoid drinking or cooking using water from your hot water tap.

3. Don’t “over boil” your water

The longer you allow a pot of water to boil, the more lead you’ll find in your water due to evaporation.

4. Stop using lead-based cookware

Australian-made cookware likely doesn’t contain lead. But cookware from other countries could very easily contain this dangerous neurotoxin.

5. Replace your old pipes and taps

We recommend buying taps that have the Watermark logo on it as these have the highest quality standards. If you have old taps or corroding pipes, contact one of the friendly plumbing experts here at Salmon Plumbing. We’ll take a look at your plumbing system and provide you with helpful recommendations on how we can increase the safety of your drinking water in an easy and affordable way.

Our team at Salmon Plumbing invite you to contact us online or give us a call now to chat about your plumbing concerns at (07) 3862 2600.