Show All Answers

1. What is lead?

Lead is a metal found in natural deposits and can be found in all parts of our environment, indoors and out. Lead was commonly used in older household plumbing materials until 1986 when the plumbing rules changed and required pipes, fittings and fixtures to be “lead-free.” The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures which can leach lead into the water, especially hot water.

2. How does it get into drinking water?

Lead can get into drinking water when service lines, household pipes, or household fixtures corrode, but ACWD is fortunate in that we do not have lead service lines and our source water does not contain lead. Our corrosion control program, described below, helps to limit leaching of lead by preventing the corrosion of household pipes and fixtures.

3. What is ACWD doing to keep lead out of my water?

Since the 1990s ACWD has been proactively monitoring and adjusting the water quality, specifically pH, at our treatment plants daily so the water is not corrosive to household pipes and plumbing fixtures. In the drinking water industry, this is called a Corrosion Control Program. While some other water utilities need to add corrosion inhibitors to their water, ACWD’s testing has demonstrated that making adjustments to the water’s pH forms a beneficial scale on the inside of pipes. This scale is a physical barrier between any lead that may be in the household pipes or plumbing fixtures and the water, and it prevents the lead from getting into your water.

4. How do I know ACWD's Corrosion Control Program is working?

The results of our 2015 testing demonstrates that our Corrosion Control Program is effective. Every three years we work with at least 50 homeowners to collect a water sample from inside their homes. These samples are considered to be worst-case scenario because they are collected after the water has been still for at least 6 hours (so the water is in contact with the household plumbing for a long time), and the home’s plumbing was in place before the 1986 lead ban (so the plumbing is more likely to have lead). These samples are analyzed by our State-certified laboratory and results are reported to the California Division of Drinking Water, our Board of Directors, the public, and most importantly the homeowners who collected samples.

As part of our compliance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule, these results are compared to the Action Level of 15 parts per billion (ppb). ACWD is in compliance with the Lead Action Level because 90% or more of our samples are below the 15 ppb Action Level. In 2015, 90% of our samples were 8.1 ppb of lead or less.

5. What can I do to keep lead out of my water?

Even with an effective Corrosion Control Program in place, customers may choose to take steps on their own to further minimize the potential for lead in drinking water, including:

- Use only water from the cold water tap for drinking, cooking, or preparing baby formula.

- Run the water for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using it for drinking, cooking, or preparing baby formula. This water is great to use for watering plants!

- Consider using a certified water filter to remove lead. Be sure to check that it is certified for lead removal.

- Replace old plumbing or fixtures that may have lead. Lead pipes will have a dull gray look and can easily be scratched by a key.

6. Can you test my water for me?

ACWD does not test customer's water for lead on a regular basis. However, select homes are tested for our Lead and Copper Rule compliance every three years. Although testing has concluded for 2018, we will be testing again in 2021. You can have your water tested by any state-certified lab. ACWD provides as a courtesy to its customers a list of local state-certified commercial laboratories. Please click the link below to be taken directly to the list.

Local State-Certified Commercial Lab Services

7. Where can I learn more about lead in drinking water?

1) American Water Works Association information on lead in drinking water:
http://www.drinktap.org/water-info/whats-in-my-water/lead-in-water.aspx

2) Center for Disease Control information about lead in drinking water:
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/water.htm

3) US Environmental Protection Agency information about lead:
http://www.epa.gov/lead

4) American Academy of Pediatrics information about children and lead in drinking water:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Lead-in-Tap- Water-Household-Plumbing.aspx