Water Management
Lead in Drinking Water – Should Durham Customers be Concerned?
City of Durham Water Review Report
Durham Council Presentation
Latest Compliance Test Results
Last fall, the City of Durham reported that its routine Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) compliance testing showed more than 90 percent of the homes tested met safe drinking water standards. Recently though, we received clarification from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) requiring the inclusion of additional test results from homes in Durham that had not previously been included in our compliance results. This included customer requested tests from homes built between 1983 and 1985 (prior to the lead solder ban), and homes participating in a special investigational study that were tested multiple times over a two month period. After including these results, we have determined that more than 10 percent of these test results exceeded the action level set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Consequently, the City is now required to test more frequently, begin an intensive public education campaign and conduct other water treatment actions.
The City has a long history of compliance with all state and federal water quality standards and has consistently met the requirements of the LCR since it's inception in 1991 until this year. Management and staff will continue to work diligently to ensure compliance with all State and Federal rules while providing water that is safe to drink.
City Manager's Statement
Basic Lead Information
Lead is a common, natural metal that is found throughout the environment; however it rarely occurs naturally in surface water supplies such as lakes and rivers. Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of corrosion of materials containing lead used in household plumbing. This is particularly the case with older homes. Piping containing lead is likely to be found only in homes built before 1930. Copper piping took the place of lead piping, but lead based solder was still used until banned by North Carolina in 1985. Brass materials, containing less than 8 percent lead, are now used in almost 100 percent of all residential, commercial, and municipal water distribution systems. This action has significantly reduced the incidence of lead in drinking water. The City has taken additional steps to reduce the leaching of lead into tap water by adding a corrosion inhibitor to drinking water. This effective corrosion control program has been in place since the 1970s.
In older homes or homes that (1) have copper pipes with lead solder or, (2) lead pipes and/or, (3) lead service lines, lead may dissolve into tap water when water stands in lead pipes (or plumbing systems containing lead) for several hours or overnight. The EPA has determined that houses built between 1982 and 1987 meeting the above conditions may have an elevated risk of lead in drinking water. Please note that lead service lines have not been used for decades; occasionally when they are discovered, they are replaced by City Water and Sewer Maintenance staff.
Since mid-June 2006, the City of Durham's Department of Water Management has conducted analyses for lead leaching from plumbing in more than 800 homes in all sections of Durham. In these samples, a first draw sample is collected after the water has stood unused in the plumbing for at least six hours - usually overnight. Then, a second draw sample is collected after the water has run from the tap for three to five minutes. In cases with detectable lead in the first draw sample, the level of lead in the tap water for the second draw sample has been non-detectable (less than the detection limits of the procedure) in the majority of samples. To date, less than 8% of homes have tested at or above the EPA action level of 15 parts per billion.
Note: 1 part per billion is equal to one step up on a stairway to the moon!
Taking Precautions
In most cases, customers can reduce or eliminate the chance of lead exposure in tap water by following these guidelines:
- Run cold water from your tap for about one to two minutes before using it for drinking or cooking any time the water in the faucet has gone unused for more than six hours.
- Flush each faucet individually. To conserve water, use the flushed water for non-consumption purposes such as watering plants or washing dishes. Fill a few bottles of water after the tap has been flushed to avoid having to flush the taps daily.
- Never cook with or drink water from the hot water tap. Hot water dissolves lead more quickly than cold water. Never use hot tap water to make baby formula or cereal; draw cold water from the tap and heat it on the stove or in the microwave.
- Periodically remove loose debris from the plumbing materials by removing the faucet strainers from all taps and running the water for three to five minutes.
New EPA Advisory
On October 20th, EPA issued an advisory on the collection process for Lead and Copper sampling. Prior to the advisory, water providers had not been given specific instructions by EPA regarding the removal and cleaning of aerators/strainers before collecting water samples for lead and copper testing. In fact, EPA literature and guidance published as recent as 2005 recommended removing aerators/strainers prior to sample collection. Durham's long standing protocol for Lead & Copper sample collection, which has been on file with the state since 1991, has requested that customers remove strainers, clean off any particulate matter and re-install them after sample collection. Given this new advisory, Durham will adjust the sample collection protocol. Read the entire EPA advisory here.
Having Your Tap Water Tested
If you are a City of Durham water customer and you are concerned there may be lead in your home's plumbing, especially if your home was built prior to 1987, you can request to have your water tested for lead. To request a sample kit call Durham One Call (DOC) at (919) 560-1200.
More Information
For more information on lead in drinking water provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency, visit www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/index.html.
Children under the age of six are eligible for free blood lead screening by the Durham County Health Department's Lead Education and Assessment Program (LEAP). Contact the LEAP team at (919) 560-7845 to arrange for blood lead testing. For more information, visit the County's Public Health Department at www.durhamcountync.gov/departments/phth/.