Lead

Public water supplies are required by the EPA and KDHE to take tap samples for lead. Since 1992, WaterOne has had a lead corrosion control program in place. As a result, WateOne lead levels have been well below EPA standards. WaterOne goes beyond federal requirements by sampling for lead and copper every year even though we’re required to sample only every three years. WaterOne’s latest Water Quality Report shows that lead was detected at 5.3 ppb, well below levels that are determined to be a possible health concern.

Precautions to take – Children under the age of six are the primary group at risk from the effects of lead. Pregnant women should also take care to minimize lead exposure as infants in the womb are at risk. While WaterOne’s monitoring shows that lead levels are very low, there will be some variability from home to home. Brass faucets and lead solder are the primary sources of lead. To assist higher risk customers in minimizing their exposure to lead, WaterOne recommends flushing the water from a faucet for 60 seconds before drinking or cooking with it. The longer the water sits in the plumbing, the more important it is to flush it.

Additional Information about lead, provided by the American Water Works Association:

• The drinking water community supports the thorough examination of the situation in Washington, D.C. and the Lead and Copper Rule, which EPA is now undertaking.  Any changes to the Lead and Copper Rile or the Safe Drinking Water Act should be based on the best available science.
• Consumers should be aware that most lead exposure comes from paint chips and dust in the home -- not from drinking water.  State and federal heath agencies can provide resources that help consumers protect themselves from all sources of lead contamination.
• The drinking water community is committed to protecting public health.  While the vast majority of water utilities do not exceed the lead action level, the drinking water community is continuing to explore ways to reduce the number of people exposed to lead in drinking water.
• The Lead and Copper Rule provides a framework for utilities to (a) determine if their corrosion control program is effective at limiting lead exposure; (b) take additional steps to protect public health; (c) and ensure consumers are notified if the utility finds lead above the action level in the community.
      1.  The Lead and Copper Rule is based on a "treatment technique" requirement in which the lead action level is a trigger -- the action level is not health based.
      2.  Monitoring under the LCR takes place at worst-case sampling locations as samples are taken of water standing overnight in homes where lead pipe or lead solder is present.
• Optimized corrosion control programs employed by water utilities are effective means of limiting lead exposure.  EPA's data confirms that the elevated lead levels in Washington D.C., are not common nationwide.  More than 96 percent of utilities reporting data do not exceed the 15-parts-per-billion action level for lead.
• Lead in drinking water does not come from water leaving treatment plants or in water mains.  In instances of high lead levels in water, the most common sources are lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, faucets made of brass and chrome-plated brass, and in some cases, pipes made of lead that connect a home to the water main.
• At high levels, lead can have serious health consequences.  Concerned consumers can take additional steps to limit exposure from drinking water:
       1.  Draw water for drinking or cooking after another high water use activity such as bathing or washing your clothes so that fresh water is drawn into your household plumbing.
       2.  Alternately, flush your water tap if the water in the faucet has gone unused for more than  a few hours.  Let the cold water run from the tap until it feels noticeably colder before using it for drinking or cooking.  If you have a lead service line, you may need to flush for a longer time. 
      3.  Consumers who choose to use a home filter to provide additional protection against lead should make sure it is NSF-certified for that purpose and is properly maintained.
       4.  Determine if lead is indeed present at levels of concern to you in your home by having your water tested by a state-certified laboratory.

For more ways customers can protect themselves from lead, click here.