Water Testing for Lead in Connecticut
Is there lead in your Connecticut drinking water?
Lead can be harmful to your health. Testing your water for lead can help protect your family. How harmful lead can be to you depends on your general state of health, how much lead gets into your body, and where the lead ends up being stored in your body.
It is difficult to understand why lead in Connecticut drinking water is a potential health hazard or even a concern. Most people believe that their water comes from pure sources without any contamination or that the water has been treated, so there is not a problem. This is not the case for lead.
The primary source for lead in most drinking water sources in CT is the piping used within a distribution system or the household plumbing. Other routes of lead exposure include: lead paint used in homes prior to 1978, dust or soil containing lead, or food grown in contaminated soil or stored in poorly glazed pottery.
The concern:
Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful to human health; there is NO safe level for lead exposure. The degree of exposure depends on the level of the exposure and route of the exposure (air, water, food). It has been estimated that up to 20 % of the total lead exposure in CT children can be attributed to a waterborne route, i.e., consuming contaminated water.
In addition, infants, fetuses, and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning. This is because they usually consume more water and are still developing which promotes the lead uptake in their bodies.
High levels of lead contamination in a child can cause coma, convulsions, damage major organs, and cause death. Moderate to low levels of exposure may cause brain neurological damage (hearing disorders), inhibit growth, and cause learning disabilities. There may be no signs of lead poisoning or the signs could mimic a flu or other gastrointestinal disease.
The symptoms may include:
- cramps
- irritability
- fatigue
- vomiting
- constipation
- sleep disorder
- poor appetite
- trouble sleeping
Unlike other contaminants, lead will accumulate within the body over time. Lead tends to be stored in the brain, bones, kidneys and other major organs. It can be stored in a child’s blood for months and in the bones for many decades. Some of the effects of lead poisoning can not be cured, but it is possible to reduce the amount of lead exposure.
Lead in Connecticut drinking water – Why water testing is important
Drinking water is only one of the possible routes of exposure to lead contamination, but it is one of the easiest routes of contamination to reduce. The primary route for lead poisoning in CT drinking water is not old contamination of the water by leaded fuels, old batteries or some hazardous waste site.
The primary route is the distribution system used to carry water to your home and more importantly the plumbing within your CT home. Your household plumbing may be the cause for lead in your drinking water. In old piping lead was used to make the piping and/or solder. In homes built prior to the 1930’s water pipes were primarily made from lead. These pipes typically have a dull gray color and can be scratched with a key.
A magnet will not stick to lead pipes. In buildings built between the 1930’s and early 1980’s, copper pipes were often used, but the solder contained lead. This does not mean that a newer home is safe from lead contamination; in fact, the available data suggests that
buildings less than 5 years old can have high levels of lead.
To see if your water contains toxic levels of lead call us today 888-558-1574.
