What is lead?
Lead is a metal that can be found in all parts of the environment - the air, soil, water, and even inside our homes. Most exposure comes from human activities, even though it occurs naturally.
How can I be exposed to lead?
Young children absorb lead more easily than adults, and lead can be passed to an unborn child during pregnancy. Lead exposure is most likely to cause harm during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood before age 6.
The main source of lead exposure is lead paint in older homes built before 1978. When old paint peels and cracks, it creates lead paint chips and lead dust. Lead dust also comes from opening and closing old windows. Home repairs and renovations also create lead dust, which lands on the floor and elsewhere. Lead gets into children’s bodies when they touch lead dust and put their hands and toys in their mouths. Children can also breathe in lead dust. Children between the ages of 9 months and 6 years are at risk, but toddlers who are teething and crawling are most at risk.
Lead can also get into your body by drinking or cooking with water containing lead.
In Massachusetts, most drinking water sources like reservoirs and groundwater are lead free. Lead in drinking water usually comes from water running through lead pipes or plumbing with lead parts or solder. Service lines, which are the pipes that connect your home to the water main, could have lead in them. You might have lead pipes in your home or copper pipes joined with lead solder. Brass faucets or fittings could also contain lead. Lead levels are highest when the water has been sitting in lead pipes for several hours. Hot water causes lead to enter water faster.
How can lead affect my health?
There is no safe level of lead. Exposure to lead can cause serious health effects, especially during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood before age 6.
Some health effects to infants and children include decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can also result in new or worsened learning and behavior problems. Children exposed before birth may be at increased risk of these harmful health effects.
Adults have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney damage, or nervous system impacts.
Risk of health effects depends on how much a person is exposed to, as well as personal factors such as age, sex, and current health status. An exposure to lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a big effect on an infant or child.
What is the drinking water standard for lead?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) action level for lead in drinking water is 0.015 mg/L (milligrams per liter). The goal is to lower lead levels as much as possible.
If you are pregnant or have young children, avoid drinking water with lead over the action level. Instead, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests using bottled water or a certified water filtration system. This will reduce lead in water for cooking, drinking, and making baby formula.
What are the testing requirements for lead?
MassDEP requires public water suppliers to test for lead in tap water in a sample of homes that are likely to have high lead levels. These are usually homes with lead service lines or solder. If more than 10% of the samples have levels of lead above the action level of 0.015 mg/L, the public water supplier must take further action. This may include notifying their customers about steps they should take to protect their health, installing corrosion control treatment, and replacing lead service lines.
The best way to find out if you have lead in your water is to test. Testing typically costs between $20 and $60 and should be done by a MassDEP-certified lab. Consider testing your water if:
- You have lead in your service line
- You have lead in pipes or solder inside your home
- You aren’t sure if you have lead in your service line, pipes, or solder
MassDEP’s Water-Smart Program offers free testing and technical assistance for public and private schools and childcare facilities. Sampling results for schools and childcare facilities are available at MassDEP Lead and Copper in School Drinking Water Sampling Results.
Available data
Use the Explore drinking water data link on this page to access the following measures for lead in drinking water:
- Drinking water violations by Community Water System
MA EPHT presents data for the following geographies: city/town, county, EP region, or EOHHS region. Data are presented for public water systems only. The most current available data will be shown. Be sure to check the site periodically as new data are added.
Related links
Additional resources
Massachusetts
- MassDEP Guide: Is there lead in my tap water?: Information on how lead gets into tap water, what you should know about this issue, and what the state is doing about it
- MassDEP certified laboratories for water testing: How to find a certified lab for water testing
- MassDEP home water treatment devices: Information on point of entry (POE) and point of use (POU) drinking water treatment devices
- MassDEP’s Water-Smart Program: Provides technical assistance and lead in drinking water testing to public and private schools and childcare facilities
- MassDEP Lead and copper in school drinking water sampling results: Drinking water sampling data from public schools and early education and care programs
- MassDEP Lead and Copper Rule Revisions: Information on the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) which went into effect October 2024 and resources to aid in compliance
National
- EPA Information about lead: Information on lead and risk of exposure