Do You Have Lead In Your Water?
Most of you have heard about Baby Bodyguards by now. First, they came and did an excellent “spec” on babyproofing our place, then they wrote a popular post on our blog about window guards for NYC, now they have been raved about on Park Slope Parents. They are getting lots of mainstream press as well.
So, aren’t we lucky that they have come on board to be an Expert at A Child Grows In Brooklyn? They have done a few “unofficial” posts for us already, but now they have their own Expert Advice page. (As do all of our Experts).
So, here they are to tell us about finding out if you have lead in your water.
Get Your Water Tested For Lead. It’s Free!
by Baby Bodyguards
New York City water is virtually lead-free when it is delivered from the City’s upstate reservoir system. However, water can absorb lead from solder, fixtures and pipes in the plumbing of some buildings and homes.
According to the EPA, young children, infants and fetuses appear to be particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a big effect on a small body. Also, growing children will more rapidly adsorb any lead they consume. A child’s mental and physical development can be irreversibly stunted by over-exposure to lead. In infants, whose diet consists of liquids made with water – such as baby formula – lead in drinking water makes up an even greater proportion of total lead exposure (40 to 60 percent).
It is easy and free to find out if your household water contains unsafe levels of lead. All you have to do is call 311 and ask for a lead test kit for water. It takes a few weeks to ship, but once it does, the instructions are pretty user- friendly, and the City pays for lab analysis and postage.
If you have lead, it is not the end of the world, the amount of lead can be easily lowered in most cases. To reduce the amount of lead in water:
- Run the tap until water is cold to the touch before using it for drinking or cooking. This is especially important after the water has been standing in the pipes overnight or over many hours. (The flushed water can be saved for watering house plants, washing dishes or general household cleaning.)
- Use only cold tap water for cooking, drinking or making a baby’s formula. Hot water is more likely to leach lead from pipes and solder.
- Check household plumbing for lead based pipes or solder. Call your plumber if you don’t know what to look for.
- Use only lead-free materials in all plumbing repairs or new faucets and pipes. The use of lead solder in plumbing was banned in New York State in 1986. Ask the plumber to show you the label from any solder packaging being used. It should state that the solder is lead-free.
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Well, they give you two bottles- the first bottle you fill with the first water to come out of the faucet in the morning. Then, you run the faucet for a couple of minutes and fill the second one up. Then you send the bottles in (they provide you with everything you need, it’s all free), and they shortly after (took a couple of weeks) send you back a report with the lead levels in your water. In our case, they said there was a slight amount-actually, a miniscule amount considered normal.
I believe they also tell you about the water in the area… I can’t find the sheet with the results but as soon as I find it, I’ll give more details!
Hi Lilly
would you mind sharing what you found out?
Yes! We have tested our water twice and they have been very fast about sending both the kit, and the results. It’s completely free, and i’d highly recommend it as well!