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Sorry to be clogging your inboxes, but I wonder if some of you missed the message about the Board of Health organizing tests for lead in well water. Several people expressed interest in testing for lead two weeks ago, but we’ve had very few responses to our earlier post offering to facilitate this.
Here’s the deal: you can get your water tested for lead. It’s $25. The Board of Health will provide bottles; you’ll pick one up at Town Hall. You’ll return your sample to the fridge in the Town Hall kitchen with a check for $25 to Howard Laboratories. We’ll take it to the lab. You’ll get the results.
I repeat here some information from the earlier message:
It is extremely rare for lead to appear in the water that comes out of the ground. If lead is found in water, it is normally coming from the distribution system, which in the case of private wells means it’s coming from your plumbing. According to the CDC, “The most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures with lead solder, from which significant amounts of lead can enter into the water, especially hot water. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and solder.” Water chemistry is also a factor: if your water is acidic (low pH), it can cause corrosion, which permits lead to be leached out of the plumbing and into the water.
If you are concerned about lead in your water, especially if there is a pregnant woman or small child in your home, and if you would like to test your water for lead or have other questions, please contact the Board of Health so we can provide an appropriate number of bottles.
Catherine Hilton for the Board of Health
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