Lead Water Test
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What is the Lead Water Test?
A lead water test is used to determine the presence of lead in a water supply. Lead can leach into drinking water from pipes, fittings, and fixtures that contain lead, and even low levels of lead in drinking water can be harmful to human health, especially for young children and pregnant women. The test involves collecting your water sample from your tap or faucet in your home and sending it to an accredited testing laboratory to check for the presence of lead.
Why Perform The Lead Water Test?
There are several reasons why a lead water test may be performed:
- First, to check for lead contamination: Lead can leach into drinking water from pipes, fittings, and fixtures that contain lead. A lead water test can determine if lead is present in the water supply and at what levels.
- For businesses to comply with regulations: In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires water systems to monitor for lead and to inform their customers if lead levels exceed a certain threshold. Testing can ensure that a water system complies with these regulations.
- To identify the source of lead: If a lead water test reveals high levels of lead, further testing may be necessary to determine the source of the lead. This could include testing the water before it enters the home, testing the home’s plumbing, or testing the soil around the home for lead.
- To protect health: Lead can have serious health effects, especially for young children and pregnant women. A lead water test can help ensure that a water supply is safe to drink and that steps can be taken to address any lead contamination.
- In case of an event of house renovation. Since the plumbing infrastructure may have been changed, leading to old pipes getting exposed to the water, lead contamination can happen.
Overall, a lead water test is done to ensure that a home’s water supply is safe to drink and to identify any lead contamination that may need to be addressed.
How Do You Perform a Lead Water Test, and Why Do I Need A Laboratory?
A laboratory uses several methods for testing lead, i.e. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS), and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (GFAAS).
People often use Colorimetric Test kits, which you can conveniently get from hardware or home improvement stores. You dip the strip into water, compare it with a colour chart, and have a result. However, these results are only not as accurate as the above methods.
You need to be certain when dealing with something as important as your family’s health. That’s why we recommend a laboratory test.
Who is the Lead Water Test Recommended For?
Several groups of people or organisations are recommended to get a lab-certified lead water test:
- Homeowners: If you own a home, especially an older one, it’s a good idea to get your water tested for lead, as lead can leach into drinking water from pipes, fittings, and fixtures that contain lead. If your water supply has lead, steps can be taken to address the contamination and protect your health.
- Renters: Even if you don’t own your home, you still have the right to know if your water contains lead. You can ask your landlord or property manager to get your water tested, or you can request to see the results of any previous tests.
- Parents of young children: Children are at a higher risk of lead poisoning than adults, so parents of young children should consider getting their water tested to ensure that their water is safe to drink.
- Pregnant women: Pregnant women and their unborn children are at a higher risk of lead poisoning, so pregnant women must know if their water contains lead.
- Schools and daycare centres: Schools and daycare centres should have their water tested for lead to ensure that the children in their care are not exposed to lead in their drinking water.
- Local government: Local authorities should have a program for lead testing to ensure that the public water systems comply with EPA regulations.
- Businesses: Some businesses are also required to test their water for lead. This includes businesses serving food and drink, such as restaurants, coffee shops, schools, daycare centres, and healthcare facilities.
It is generally a good idea for anyone concerned about lead in their water to get a lab-certified lead water test, especially if they have young children or pregnant women or if they know that their homes or buildings were built or had plumbing infrastructure changed before 1986 as those are more likely to have lead pipes or fixtures.
What’s The Process?
We Can Do It For You In 3 Easy Steps – Simple. Clear. Accurate:
- Simple – order the test you need, and we will post your testing kit to you
- Clear – follow the instructions, collect the sample and post it back to us the same day for next-day delivery
- Accurate – easy-to-understand results will be sent to you by email within 10 days.
*If you prefer, you can pick up and drop off the water sample or request a home/office visit with one of our specialists. In the case of an emergency bacteria test, we will provide a next-day result service.
Clear doesn’t mean clean. Get a drinking water test to make sure today. We use science to aid us, and science does not let us down.
What’s Included In This Test?
Our drinking water analysis is INAB Accredited and based on EU Drinking Water Regulations.
This test is a single-parameter test, only testing for lead.