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Lead

Lead in tap water: where it comes from and what to do

Updated · Written from EPA, NSF, CDC and maker documents, each linked at the end · How we decide what to say

Short answer

Lead in tap water mostly comes from lead service lines and household plumbing, not from the treatment plant, so a utility-wide result cannot tell you about your tap. EPA's steps are to test your water, flush before drinking, use cold water, clean the aerator and use a filter certified for lead.

There is no known safe level

EPA and the CDC agree that there is no known safe level of lead in a child’s blood, and EPA sets the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero. Young children, infants and fetuses are especially vulnerable, according to EPA. Drinking water can be 20 percent or more of a person’s total lead exposure, and EPA says infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive 40 to 60 percent of their lead exposure from drinking water. Other sources include paint, dust, soil, air and food.

Where lead in tap water comes from

EPA says lead enters drinking water when plumbing materials containing lead corrode, especially where water is acidic or low in minerals. The most common sources are lead pipes, faucets and fixtures. In homes with a lead service line (the pipe connecting the home to the water main), that line is typically the most significant source. Lead pipes are more likely in older cities and homes built before 1986. Where there is no lead service line, the most common problem is brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder.

This is why a utility’s lead number is a system-wide statistic. The 90th-percentile result on our utility pages is drawn from sampled homes and is compared to the action level, not to what comes from your faucet.

What EPA recommends you do

  1. Find out whether you have a lead service line. Ask your utility or a licensed plumber; EPA’s “Protect Your Tap” guide walks you through a home check.
  2. Have your water tested by a state-certified lab. EPA says you cannot see, taste or smell lead, so testing is the only sure way to know (how to test).
  3. Flush your pipes before drinking if water has been sitting: run the tap, take a shower or do laundry. Ask your utility how long.
  4. Use cold water for drinking, cooking and baby formula. EPA states that boiling does not remove lead (why boiling doesn’t help).
  5. Clean your faucet aerator regularly; sediment and lead particles can collect in it.
  6. Use a filter certified to remove lead, follow the replacement directions, and do not run hot water through it (filters for lead).
  7. Get your child tested if you have concerns; talk to your clinician.

EPA also says bathing and showering should be safe even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level, because skin does not absorb lead in water.

What the rules say now

The federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), finalized October 2024, require systems to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years and lower the lead action level from 15 ppb to 10 ppb. The Federal Register notice lists compliance dates beginning November 1, 2027. Until then our utility pages compare each system’s most recent result with the 15 ppb action level in effect, and say so. Check EPA’s page for current status.

Not medical advice

If you think someone in your household has been exposed to lead, ask a clinician about a blood test. This guide summarizes public sources and is not medical advice.

Related guides

Sources

Not medical or legal advice. This guide summarizes public documents so you can ask better questions of your utility, your health department or a certified lab. For health concerns, talk to a clinician; for compliance questions, to your state drinking water program. Pages on this site that name products may earn a commission, as disclosed on the affiliate disclosure page.