Is there lead in my drinking water?

There is no detectable lead in any of Rainbow's sources. Lead seldom occurs naturally in water supplies. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Rainbow is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water, but we cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.

In December of 2021 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Revised Lead and Copper Rule which included a requirement for water suppliers to create an inventory of all water service line materials in the public water system’s service area. This rule mandated that water suppliers inventory the service lines on the public side from the street to the water meter, and also inventory the material used in private water lines, the plumbing connection on the house side of the water meter.

Rainbow was required to inspect all 2,383 public/private water services within the water system and this project was completed in October 2024. The data Rainbow staff collected as part of this confirmed that:

·         There are no lead service lines.

·         There are no galvanized service lines that are downstream of a lead service line.

·         There are no service lines determined to be of an unknown material.

Inventory/survey results were completed by gathering information during site inspections by water operators and researching as-built construction records. We do not know of all materials used in your private plumbing system, but the portion we could see at the meter connection gives us high confidence that the survey results are accurate.

More information on the EPA’s Revised Lead and Copper Rule can be found on their website at https://www.epa.gov.ground-water-and-drinking-water/revised-lead-and-copper-rule.

How can I reduce my exposure to lead in drinking water?

There can be lead in private water system plumbing. When water stands for several hours in plumbing systems that contain lead, the lead may dissolve into your drinking water. If your home was built before 1986, it may have copper pipes with lead solder. In addition, any faucet purchased before 1997 may be constructed of brass containing up to 8% lead. More recent federal legislation has mandated, as of January 4, 2014, that all pipe, fittings, and fixtures may contain no more than 0.25% lead.

Rainbow has done what we can to help. We have installed highly effective treatment processes that raise the pH of the water and reduce the amount of lead leached from water in contact with private plumbing systems and pipe solder. Here are some additional steps that you can do:

• Run your water to flush out lead.
  Before using water for drinking or cooking, run the water for 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until it becomes colder from the tap, especially if the water has not been used for many hours. This flushes water that may contain dissolved lead from the pipes in your home.
• Use cold, fresh water for cooking, drinking, and preparing baby formula.
  Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water. Do not use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula.
• Regularly clean your faucet aerator.
  Particles containing lead from solder or household plumbing can become trapped in your faucet aerator. Regularly cleaning every few months will remove these particles and reduce your exposure to lead.
• Consider buying low-lead faucets.
  As of January 2014, all pipes, fittings, and fixtures are required to contain less than 0.25% lead, which is termed “lead-free”.
• Consider investing in a filter.
  Before you buy, confirm that the filter reduces lead – not all filters do. Remember that bacteria and other contaminants can collect in filters if not properly maintained, making water quality worse, not better.

If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or on the Environmental Protection Agency website.