Drinking Water: Leaded or Unleaded?

We've heard so much about lead in toys lately that it's getting downright overwhelming for most of us. But it's important, now more than ever, to stay informed. When you build an arsenal to fight against the scary news, you cease to be overwhelmed, and instead you can be reassured that you're doing the right thing.

Aside from the recent toy scare, most of us probably envision lead in the home only occurring in old, dilapidated houses with paint chips falling off the walls; but there's more to it than that. One place lead is commonly found is in plumbing. I know what you're thinking - "Please don't tell me! I don't want one more thing to have nightmares over!" Believe me, I felt the same way while reading up on it. But there are a few simple things to do to alleviate the worries. And that's what we're all about here.

First of all, know that if your house was built before 1988, as was mine, lead solder may have been used in the plumbing. My father pointed this out to me this weekend while helping my husband install a water heater. (You don't want to know - not a pretty story, and I'm not sure I'll get over the watermarks anytime soon.) If you suspect lead soldering in your pipes, run your cold water for 30 - 60 seconds in the morning before using it, and again if the water hasn't run for six or more hours. Let the water get as cold as possible, too. This will clean out the pipes of water that's had a chance to sit overnight against the lead. There are water filters out there that do trap lead, so if you filter your water, look for one of those. Also, clean out the little screen on your faucet head regularly. Solder particles can get lodged in there after breaking free of the pipes.

If you'd like to test your water, you can call your local health department for more info, or contact the EPA at their Safe Drinking Water Hotline. The EPA has all sorts of info on their site if you want to do more research on your own as well.

Remember, the more we know, the less there is to be afraid of! We can certainly protect ourselves by passing it on!