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What to know about lead in drinking water .
What to know about lead in drinking water
...and how we are ensuring a Lead Safe Durham
Since the early 1990s, public water providers like Durham Water have been treating and testing our drinking water to protect the public from lead and copper exposure in drinking water. In 2021, the Lead and Copper Rule was revised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to further ensure that our drinking water remains lead safe.
Protecting public health will always be Durham Water Management’s number one mission. The water leaving Durham’s two water treatment plants does not contain lead. This is confirmed with weekly testing. But it is possible for lead to enter drinking water from corrosion of lead service lines and plumbing materials. Our current corrosion control program – the addition of zinc orthophosphate – is effective in preventing lead in pipes and plumbing materials from getting into drinking water. Our regular testing of drinking water in residents’ homes confirms this.
In 2021, the EPA revised the Lead and Copper Rule to provide an improved level of public health protection, and in October 2024 the EPA approved the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. The changes focus on identifying and removing lead service lines, providing increased levels of protection from lead exposure in drinking water to children at schools and childcare facilities, and providing information about lead in drinking water to the community.
For more information visit the website: https://www.durhamnc.gov/5108/Lead-Safe-Durham or call 984-242-3012.
