Over the past several years lead in water has become a hot issue amongst homeowners, especially after the events and discovery of lead in Flint, MI water systems. Lead in your water can be a very big issue for not only you and your family but your home as well. No matter how old or new your house is, no home is truly immune to the effects of lead in water, although older homes with older plumbing systems are more susceptible than newer, more modern homes. The effects of lead in the water are the same across all instances, however, and having a proper understanding of them can help you and your family better prepare yourselves if you find yourself experiencing this troubling issue.
Your Home
As mentioned, homes with older plumbing systems can be more susceptible to having lead contaminates in the water. This is because the pipes themselves experience natural corrosion over time, and thus experience a higher probability of contaminates getting through as these pipes age and deteriorate. It benefits both your home and your family to consistently replace the piping of a home over the course of your life to ensure the pipes you don’t see aren’t causing health issues for your family. This is also beneficial to ensure the pipes don’t deteriorate too much to a point where damage is caused in your home by water leakage, which can cause even more damage that can get very expensive to fix.
You and Your Family
Lead in your water can be an invisible issue that may go unnoticed for years until very visible damage is caused to your family’s health. While every member of a family can be negatively affected, infants, young children, and pregnant women are the highest risk for visible health damage. According to a HealthyChildren article, infants drinking formula prepared with lead-contaminated water can be at an even higher risk due to a large amount of water consumed relative to body size.
Concerned parents can have their local pediatrician test their children for lead deposits in their blood so parents can be on top of their children’s health. Because lead in water cannot be seen, tasted, or smelled, having your child tested is the only way to confirm lead in your water. Once that is done you can take the necessary steps to replace the piping in your home or install the proper equipment to better the quality of your water.
The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your home’s unique water quality needs including arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more. More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.