Healthy Life

 The Oswego County Health Department encourages residents to determine what type of water service line they have in their home to ensure they have clean, safe drinking water.

 “Lead is always a concern when it comes to public health,” said Oswego County Supervising Public Health Engineer William Havener, Jr. “Lead can’t be seen, smelled or tasted, so even water that runs clear could potentially contain lead. We’re asking homeowners to do their part by checking what type of water service they have and reporting it to their local water department. There is no safe level of lead exposure, so it’s important to prevent it whenever possible.”

Lead is a naturally occurring element that is toxic to humans and is especially harmful to young children. Once poisoned, the effect of lead is often irreversible and can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, slow growth and development, learning and behavioral issues, as well as hearing and speech problems.

Before the dangers of lead poisoning were well understood, lead was added to a number of materials including paint, gasoline and plumbing parts. Although the use of lead pipes was banned in the 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports there are 9 million lead service lines delivering water to families across the United States.

In an effort to reduce the amount of lead in drinking water, the EPA is requiring municipal water systems to provide an inventory of lead water service lines as part of its Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. For more details, check out the EPA’s fact sheet at  https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-11/lcri-fact-sheet-for-the-public_final.pdf.

The inventory does not include properties relying on well water; however, property owners in rural areas that are not connected to a water system should still look at their plumbing to ensure it is free of lead.

Knowing where lead pipes are located is an important component of the additional proposed rules, which would include 100% lead pipe replacement.

Follow these steps to determine the type of water service line in the home:

• Water service lines are typically found in the basement. Look for a pipe that comes through the outside wall of your home or the floor of your basement. It may have a meter or shut-off
• Carefully scratch the pipe with a key or coin as if you were scratching a lottery ticket. Do not use a knife or other sharp tools. If the scratched area is silver, it is a lead pipe. If the area is dull gray, it is a galvanized steel pipe, and if it is copper colored, then it is a copper pipe.
• Place a magnet on the pipe. A magnet will not stick to lead pipes or copper pipes but will stick to galvanized steel pipes. If the magnet will not stick, refer to the color of the scratched area of the pipe to determine if the pipe is lead or copper.

An instructional video on how to determine the type of water service line can be viewed on the New York State Department of Health’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcO5FCE9Vfw.

If a lead service line is found in the home, follow these steps:

• Reduce your exposure by installing a filter for water that you use for drinking and
• Only drink or cook with cold tap Water that comes out of the tap warm can have higher levels of lead. Boiling water will not reduce the amount of lead.
• Let the tap run for about 30 seconds to flush out sitting water.
• Consider using an alternative water source for drinking and cooking until the service line is replaced.

For questions about water service lines, contact your local water system agency. For more information or concerns relating to possible lead poisoning, contact the Oswego County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 315-349-3557.