Lead in Drinking Water

CLICK HERE FOR THE LEAD SERVICE LINE SURVEY

The Southwick Water Department is developing a Service Line Inventory to create a database of all water services in Southwick.  This work includes identifying any water services and household plumbing that potentially contain materials with lead through the following tasks:

• Review existing records that may contain information on the material of each service line
• Distribute a survey with instructions so customers may provide information or photos of their service line to help identify the pipe material
• Utilize machine learning and predictive modeling software to locate potential lead service lines
• Conduct service line inspections where Water Department staff and/or a contractor will inspection the service line as it enters a customer’s building in person
• Conduct field investigation into lead service lines through vacuum excavation techniques
• Provide public education and notification materials to customers and the community regarding lead and development of the inventory and replacement plan

Southwick Water Department needs your help to identify the water service material inside your home or business.  Please click here to fill out short survey.  The survey will ask you whether you want to identify the material yourself or request a home inspection.  If you want to identify the material, the following tutorial gives guidance.

Tutorial on how to identify your water service material?

All water services are composed of one of the following materials:

• Lead
• Copper
• Galvanized steel
• Plastic (PVC or HDPE)

There are 4 simple tests you can perform to identify the material of your water service.  You may not need to conduct all 4 tests to successfully identify the pipe material.  Typically the best location to conduct these tests is next to the water meter, which is where the service enters the home or business. 

Color Test:  What is the color of the pipe?

Scratch Test:  Does the pipe easily scratch with a key or coin?

Magnet Test:  Will a magnet stick to the pipe?

Tap Test:  What is the sound when the pipe is tapped with a key or coin?

The following chart identifies the responses to these questions for each type of service material. 

With this information in hand, you should be able to identify the service material.  Take the survey here. 

Additional information regarding lead in drinking water is below. 

What are the health effects of lead?

Lead is a common metal found throughout the environment in lead-based paint, air, soil, household dust, food, certain types of pottery porcelain and pewter, and water. Lead can pose a significant risk to your health if too much of it enters your body. Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells and kidneys. The greatest risk is to young children and pregnant women. Amounts of lead that won't hurt adults can slow down normal mental and physical development of growing bodies. In addition, a child at play often comes into contact with sources of lead contamination -- like dirt and dust -- that rarely affect an adult. It is important to wash children's hands and toys often, and to try to make sure they only put food in their mouths.  Lead in drinking water can significantly increase a person's total lead exposure, particularly the exposure of infants who drink baby formulas and concentrated juices that are mixed with water. The EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20% or more of a person's total exposure to lead.

How does lead enter drinking water?

Lead seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like rivers and lakes.  Lead primarily enters drinking water as a result of the corrosion of materials containing lead in the water distribution system and household plumbing. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass and chrome plated brass faucets, and in some cases pipes made of lead that connect your house to the water main (service lines). In 1986, Congress banned the use of lead solder containing greater than 0.2% lead, and restricted the lead content of faucets, pipes and other plumbing materials to 8.0%.  When water sits in lead pipes or plumbing systems containing lead for several hours or more, the lead may dissolve into the drinking water.

What has Southwick Water Department done to identify lead in drinking water?

The Southwick Water Department regularly conducts sampling for lead in accordance with state and federal requirements. Information regarding lead in drinking water is provided in the Water Department’s Annual Consumer Confidence Report.  The Department’s website will be updated regularly to include information on the new requirements under the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions and additional details on those activities undertaken to develop the inventory.

Why is the Southwick Water Department asking for this information?

In 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) published revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule that are intended to better protect children and communities from lead exposure risks and support efforts to remove lead from drinking water.  The revisions require all Public Water Systems to complete an inventory of all service lines connected to their distribution system and develop a Lead Service Line Replacement Plan. The inventory must include the pipe material and other information for both the system-owned and customer-owned portions of the service line between the water main and a structure. The Inventory and Replacement Plan must be submitted by October 16, 2024.

What steps can I take in my home to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water?

The following precautions can be taken to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water: 

Flush The System:  Let the water run from the tap before using it for drinking or cooking any time the water in a faucet has gone unused for more than six hours. The longer water resides in your home's plumbing the more lead it may contain. Flushing the tap means running the cold water faucet until the water gets noticeably colder, usually about 15-30 seconds.  Although toilet flushing or showering flushes water through a portion of your home's plumbing system, you still need to flush the water in each faucet before using it for drinking or cooking.

Cook with Cold Water:  Use only cold water for cooking and drinking…do not to cook with, or drink water from the hot water tap. Hot water can dissolve lead more quickly than cold water. If you need hot water, draw water from the cold tap and heat it on the stove.

Update Plumbing:  Remove loose lead solder and debris from the plumbing materials installed in newly constructed homes, or homes in which the plumbing has recently been replaced, by removing the faucet strainers from all taps and running the water from three to five minutes. Thereafter, periodically remove the strainers and flush out any debris that has accumulated over time.  If your copper pipes are joined with lead solder that has been installed illegally since it was banned in 1986, notify the plumber who did the work, and request that he or she replace the lead solder with lead-free solder. Lead solder looks dull gray, and when scratched with a key looks shiny. In addition, notify the Department of Environmental Protection about the violation.  If grounding wires from the electrical system are attached to your pipes, corrosion may be greater. Check with a licensed electrician or your local electrical code to determine if your wiring can be grounded elsewhere. DO NOT attempt to change the wiring yourself because improper grounding can cause electrical shock and fire hazards.

Install a Home Treatment Device:  Home treatment devices are limited in that each unit treats only the water that flows from the faucet to which it is connected, and all of the devices require periodic maintenance and replacement. Devices such as reverse osmosis systems or distillers can effectively remove lead from your drinking water. Some activated carbon filters may reduce lead levels at the tap; however all lead reduction claims should be investigated.  Be sure to check the actual performance of a specific home treatment device before and after installing the unit.

Who can I call to have my water tested for lead?

The following is a list of some local laboratories that you can call to have your water tested for lead:

Pace Anaytical, 39 Spruce Street, East Longmeadow, MA
EurofinsTest America, 126 Myron Street, West Springfield, MA
Housatonic Basin Sampling and Testing, Run Way, Lee MA

Where can I find more information?

Feel free to contact the Southwick DPW at 413-569-6772 or email Randy Brown, DPW Director, at rbrown@southwickma.gov.    

Additional Information can be found the following links:

MassDEP: https://www.mass.gov/lead-in-drinking-water

US EPA: https://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead

Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative: https://www.lslr-collaborative.org/