How to Treat Lead in Your Drinking Water

Lead is a common element in the environment. Before people knew its dangers, lead was used in many common items, such as gasoline, paint, building materials and plumbing fixtures. Even if your water is treated by a public utility, lead can find its way into your drinking water through corrosion of lead pipes, copper pipes with lead solder and faucets containing lead. This is more likely if your home has "soft" water, was built before 1930, which is when lead pipes were used, or built before 1988, when lead solder was commonly used in plumbing.

Things You'll Need

• Filtered water container
• Home faucet or under-counter filtration system designed to reduce lead

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Instructions

• 1

  Run the tap until the water is cold to the touch before using it for drinking or cooking. Do not drink water that sat in the plumbing lines for more than six hours.

• 2

  Cook, drink and make baby formula starting with cold tap water or bottled water. Never start with hot tap water.

• 3

  Store tap water in a filtered water container, such as a filtered jug. A filtered water container's cost ranges from $15 to $30 (in early 2011). Keep replacement filters on hand, and follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding filter replacement.

• 4

  Install a home faucet or under-counter filtration system designed to reduce lead. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the system's maintenance and filter replacement. The system costs from $75 to $300 (in early 2011).