With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley. 

Lead is a metal commonly found throughout the environment. It can be produced naturally or through human activities, and you’re exposed to small amounts of lead through the air, consumer products, and even drinking water on a daily basis.

The National Plumbing Code of Canada allowed lead as an acceptable material in pipes until 1975, and as an acceptable material in solder until 1986. That may have been a long time ago, but many of the nation’s water systems still feature lead components. As these pipes age, lead can be incorporated into the water supply, but should you be concerned about lead in your drinking water?

The Dangers of Lead

Lead poisoning can have very severe consequences. It is particularly harmful for children and pregnant women, as elevated levels of lead can cause long-term health issues as well as learning and developmental disabilities. Lead poisoning symptoms include loss of appetite and abdominal pain, and can be as severe as hearing loss. Increased blood lead levels can also result in kidney dysfunction and increased blood pressure.

Unfortunately, many of these symptoms can also mirror typical ailments, which makes diagnosis more complex. If you notice these sorts of symptoms in yourself or children, you may want to test the lead levels in your home’s water supply.

How Is Drinking Water Exposed To Lead?

Contaminated drinking water is not the only source of lead consumption. Though most industries are heavily regulated for lead use, lead can still be found in paint, soil, pottery, and toys, among other common items.

In nearly all cases of contaminated water supplies, lead exposure is the result of lead piping. Lead can be dissolved into the water on contact, contaminating the supply. This exposure can be hard to find, as lead is both tasteless and odorless. In fact, lead contamination will cause no aesthetic changes to your drinking water.

In the past, lead was commonly used as a solder for sealing copper pipes together. Lead was also a commonly used material for water pipes until the dangers of lead exposure were discovered.

In general, there is very little lead in natural water sources throughout Canada. However, the most significant source of lead in drinking water is from lead service lines. Older neighborhoods that still have lead service lines have a higher likelihood of lead contamination. You can check with your municipality or water utility to determine if there are lead service lines in your area.

Protection Against Lead contamination

Health Canada has confirmed the potential dangers of lead contamination in drinking water, and if you suspect your water supply is contaminated, you’ll definitely want to solve the problem. Lead contamination is similar to many different water contaminant problems, and the use of a Point of Use Final Barrier water system is the best form of protection.

Carbon-based water filters are quite effective at removing lead from drinking water, and are fairly affordable. Reverse osmosis and water distillation systems are also effective at removing lead. These systems can remove lead and other contaminants from your water supply, providing safe and clean water to your home. If you’re concerned about lead contamination in your water, be sure to consult a water treatment professional to find the ideal solution for your home.