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The Procedure for Testing Water for the Presence of Lead

The heavy metal lead was once commonplace in industry and the home. It is used in far more limited roles now that its deleterious health effects are known. One place lead sometimes shows up these days is in water.

  1. Sources of Lead Contamination

    • Lead contamination can derive from several sources. Of these, the most common sources are contamination of the groundwater (from a source in the ground itself), contamination from municipal piping or home piping and contamination once the water leaves the pipes (as with lead paint chips).

    Test Protocol

    • To test for lead from the fixture itself, test the first water that flows from a pipe for a few seconds. To test for lead from pipes inside the house, test water after the first few seconds of flow. Cold water taken after a night of no usage is likely to be water from the main pipes and will therefore help test for lead from that source, while water taken after allowing the faucet to run for several minutes tests the lead level of the municipal water supply.

    How to Get a Test Done

    • To test your water for lead, request a lead test from your municipality's health department. The lab fee is usually about $20 to $25.

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