Safe drinking water is one the basic human needs, and one of the basic civil services we expect of our cities, states, reservoir management, etc. One of the biggest long-standing risks to the safety of drinking water in the U.S. is lead (Pb) contamination. Over the last few decades, most public waterways that originally contained Pb piping have undergone modernization and replacement of piping with lead-free or low-lead materials. Unfortunately, older homes are not always required to be up to code unless they are being remodeled, so many such homes still contain pipes and plumbing components with Pb content that is higher than the recommended safe levels. Homes built after 1986 were required to meet strict safety standards in terms of the Pb levels in their plumbing.
The Safe Drinking Water Act—originally made law in 1974—was amended in 1986 to substantially reduce the amount of lead allowed in plumbing components to 8%. The Safe Drinking Water Act was amended again in January of 2011, this time reducing the acceptable level of Pb in brass components that come into contact with drinking water to 0.25%. CONTACT US TO DISCOVER XRF TOOLS TO QUICKLY AND EASILY VERIFY THE % OF LEAD IN BRASS.