17 Jun Everything you need to know about lead in your water
Let’s preface this post by saying that municipal water across Canada tends to be very high-quality. That said, if your home was built before 1986, it may have lead pipes, fixtures and lead -based solder.
Over time, water and chloramines corrode lead plumbing, causing traces of lead to leach into your drinking water. The most common problem tends to be with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures, which leach high levels of lead in your water — especially hot water.
Why is lead toxic in drinking water?
Up until recently, lead was deemed a safe plumbing material. New studies, however, have linked lead exposure to a variety of adverse health effects. In infants and children, drinking lead en water has resulted in delayed physical and mental development. In adults, it has been shown to cause spikes in blood pressure and, over time, has increased the risk of kidney problems.
What can you do to protect yourself from lead ? (4 easy steps!)
- So, your home was built before 1990. First, you need to get your water analyzed from a government-approved lab
- If lead is found, then check if you have a lead service pipe and replace it
- Your service pipe isn’t lead ? The source is probably your piping system, which can be expensive and inconvenient to replace
- Instead of replacing your entire piping system, you could opt to install an under-sink water filter that is certified to NSF/ANSI standard 53 for lead reduction. It’s important to look for the CSA, NSF and WQA certification
How can you treat your lead ?
Lead is typically removed using one of two technologies: reverse osmosis, or a high-grade activated carbon with specific lead -reduction capabilities. Both systems remove lead by over 95%!
Not sure where to start? Take a look at these popular treatment systems that can be found in a Canadian store near you!