Question about Lead in Private Well / Water Supply
Q: I had a water test done on a private well. The results say that public water needs to have a lead level
of 5 or less and that 15 is unsafe. Is there a different standard
for private wells and her client’s well tested at 10? What does that mean and
is it a concern?
Answered by Bob Schultheis, natural resource engineering specialist with University of Missouri Extension (his contact info here).
A: The MCLG (maximum contamination
level goal) for lead is zero, and the MCL (maximum contamination level) is 15
ppb, above which is considered unsafe. I’ve not found any reference that
differentiates the MCL for public vs. private wells. Testing before and after
the “first flush” of the faucet will help determine if the lead problem is in
the groundwater or in the plumbing. If the well tested at 10 ppb, no action is
needed, but if they want to play it extra safe and the problem is in the
plumbing, they can run the cold water faucet 1-2 minutes before using the water
for drinking or cooking. It doesn’t hurt to bathe in lead-tainted water.
The following links may be
helpful.
Basic Information about Lead in
Drinking Water (EPA)
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water#regs
Lead in Tap Water (CDC)
Water Tests: What Do the Numbers
Mean? (Penn State University)
posted by David L. Burton at 6/16/2016 12:13:00 PM
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