Lead in Drinking Water: Frequently Asked Questions
10-23-08
Why has the drinking fountain on the fifth floor of Arntzen Hall been removed?
The Environmental Health and Safety office sampled the water from the 5th floor drinking fountain in Arntzen Hall on September 17, 2008 first thing in the morning. Results were available on October 7, 2008 from Avocet Laboratories. The results showed that lead concentrations were over the U.S. EPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) for lead. The MCL is 0.015 milligrams of lead per liter of water (mg/l).
The sample showed that lead levels in the water were 0.028 mg/l.
On October 8th, the EHS office staff re-tested the drinking fountain for lead concentration in accordance with WA State Department of Health protocols. This follow-up sample was collected early in the day after a thirty-second flush of the water tap. This result was 0.026 mg/l.
What is WWU doing?
Environmental Health and Safety staff have notified the Whatcom County Health Department. Initially, we posted a sign on the fountain prohibiting use. Later on October 7th, Facilities Management turned off the water. On October 14, 2008, we received the results from the second lead analysis of the fifth floor fountain. As shown above, that level was also high. Facilities Management removed the fountain that day.
On October 8th, all other drinking fountains in Arntzen Hall were sampled using an initial first draw technique. Those results were all below the maximum contaminant level.
Additional testing is described elsewhere.
Why is there lead in the water?
The City of Bellingham water does not contain high levels of lead.
Lead levels are present in water in older buildings because of the construction materials used to distribute and provide the drinking water.
Lead that is present in the lead-containing solder, brass fixtures, or lead connectors can enter the water. Lead may also be present because drinking fountains manufactured before the 1980’s can contain some lead parts.
What can I do to minimize drinking water with traces of lead?
There are two things to do regularly to minimize the amount of lead you drink.
- Flush Your Pipes Before Drinking
Anytime the water in a particular faucet has not been used for six hours or longer, "flush" your cold-water pipes by running the water until it becomes as cold as it will get.
(This could take as little as five to thirty seconds if there has been recent heavy water use such as showering or toilet flushing. Otherwise, it could take two minutes or longer.) The more time water has been sitting in the pipes, the more lead it may contain. - Drink and Cook Only with Cold Water
Use only water from the cold-water tap for drinking, cooking, and especially for making baby formula. Hot water is likely to contain higher levels of lead.
These two recommended actions are very important to your health. They can be effective in reducing lead levels because the lead in Bellingham water comes from the plumbing, not from the water supply itself.
What is lead?
Lead is a metal found in natural deposits in the earth’s crust. Lead is a well-described environmental poison. At high levels, it can affect people’s health.
How harmful is drinking water with traces of lead?
Whether or not exposure to lead causes health problems depends upon how much lead exposure occurs and the susceptibility of the person who is exposed. Children are considered at greater risk than adults.
Generally, lead exposures received by people drinking from fountains at school or work settings are not high because drinking fountain water represents a small part of most people's overall water consumption. Individuals’ health status differs so you may wish to discuss this issue with a health care provider.
How widespread is this problem?
The U.S. EPA estimates that more than 40 million U.S. residents use water that can contain lead in excess of the maximum contaminant level.
Is there a medical test to determine if I’ve been exposed to lead?
A blood test is available to measure lead in a person’s blood. This test shows health care providers an estimate of recent exposure to lead.
How can I be tested?
WWU recommends that employees who may be concerned about their lead exposure should visit Whatcom Occupational Health (676-1693). The visit would include completing a WA State Department of Labor and Industries’ accident report form with the doctor, who will file a workers’ compensation claim on the employee’s behalf.
Why are the drinking water results written differently in different places?
The values in the results table have the units of parts of lead per billion parts of water (ppb). This is equivalent to micrograms of lead per liter of drinking water (ug/l).
Avocet, the independent testing laboratory used for testing, reports results in milligrams of lead per liter of water (mg/l). Milligrams per liter are equivalent to parts per million (ppm).
There are 1000 parts per billion in one part per million. The first result received for the fifth floor of Arntzen is shown below in different units which all represent the same concentration of lead in the water:
- 0.028 mg/l
- 0.028 ppm
- 28 ug/l
- 28 ppb