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Are you
concerned about lead in your water?
Lead seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like rivers and
lakes. Lead is almost never present in water leaving a treatment
plant or travelling through water-mains. The drinking water produced at Toronto's water plants meets and even exceeds the Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) has established a maximum acceptable concentration of lead in drinking water of 10 ppb (parts per billion) in a free flowing sample of water.
Toronto's drinking water source and the supply/distribution system do not contain lead. Single-family houses built before the mid-1950s may have been connected to the water system with lead pipes. The City is actively working to remove all lead pipes as quickly as possible.
Apartment buildings and other multi-residential buildings with more than six units do not have lead water service connections, regardless of age. Lead is too soft to handle the pressure needed for these types of buildings.
Where does lead in drinking water come from?
Drinking water quality can decline if water sits too long in your
service line or plumbing system.
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 (service lines).
-
Lead
paint (and the contaminated dust and soil it generates) is
the leading
source of lead exposure in older housing. Lead has
been used as a component of paint, piping (including water
service lines), solder, brass, and until the 1980s, as a
gasoline additive.
Lead
enters drinking water as a result of corrosion, as water
comes into
contact with lead materials over a period of
time. If standing water is in contact with lead materials
for several hours, the water may accumulate lead levels that
are of concern.
Other sources
of lead include soil, pottery, traditional folk medicines or
cosmetics, some sports equipment such as fishing weights and
ammunition.
How can you limit your exposure?
If you’re concerned about lead, take the following precautionary
steps to further limit possible exposure.
-
Flush
standing water in your pipes each morning by first flushing
the toilet, washing your hands or letting the water run
for five minutes or until it is cold to the touch. Flushing
clears water
from the plumbing and home service line to ensure the drinking
water comes from the main, where lead is rarely present.
-
Use
cold water for drinking, cooking or preparing baby formula.
Hot water dissolves more lead from plumbing. Boiling
water DOES NOT remove lead.
-
A licensed
plumber can determine if a home contains lead solder, lead
pipes or pipe fittings
that contain lead. A plumber
can also determine if a home has a lead service line connecting home
plumbing to the community water system's water main. The
presence
of these
materials does not mean lead is in the water, but
that the potential for lead in the water exists.
-
Make sure
that repairs to copper piping do not use lead solder.
-
Some home
treatment devices remove lead, but not all do. Before purchasing
a home treatment device, check the
manufacturer's claims. A good resource is NSF International.
What is the City doing to replace lead service pipes?
Changing out a lead pipe is the most effective way to eliminate the risk of lead in drinking water. In 2007, Toronto City Council approved one of the most aggressive lead pipe replacement programs in North America. Through this program, the City-owned portion of all lead pipes will be replaced over a nine-year period. Homeowners are encouraged to replace their side of the pipe when the City is replacing the public portion. Changing the private side of the service line can cost approximately $1,800.00 to $3,000.00 depending on the property size, materials used, etc. City contractors doing the change-outs will contact residents shortly before starting the work in each neighbourhood.
Toronto has over 470,000 service connections in its water supply system. (Service connections are the pipes that attach the private residence to the watermain running down the street.) Of these pipes, more than 65,000 are made of lead. Lead pipes break down as they age and can leech lead into the water. Homes built before the mid-1950s (typically found in the older parts of the City) may have lead pipes connecting them to the water supply system.
Read this brochure for more information about the City's Lead Pipe Replacement Program (PDF).
Does the City conduct lead testing?
Yes. The City provides free testing for lead in drinking water in single-family homes built before the mid-1950s. Apartment buildings with six or more units and homes built after the mid-1950s are not connected to the water supply system with lead pipes.
For an evaluation of lead levels in the pipes inside the home, residents will have to arrange for testing by a private laboratory. The City recommends that residents arrange water testing by an accredited, licensed laboratory. You can't see, smell or taste lead in your water. Testing at the tap is the only way to measure the lead levels in your home or workplace.
