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Safe drinking water is our top priority. For decades, BWW has taken effective steps to protect customers from lead exposure. The drinking water delivered to your home meets or exceeds state and federal water quality standards.

We are actively working to identify customer-owned water service lines that contain lead (Pb) material as part of a new program required by the US EPA and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management for all water utilities nationally. A water service line is the pipe that connects a home or business to the public drinking water system.

Birmingham Water Works (BWW) treats, tests, and distributes high-quality drinking water to you and the community. Water provided by BWW is lead-free when it leaves our treatment plants and gets distributed through water mains to end-customers. After water is delivered through a water main, it may be exposed to lead as it flows through privately-owned water service lines and indoor plumbing and fixtures. BWW treats its water to help prevent pipe corrosion, and routinely tests water at multiple sites throughout the entire water distribution system to ensure it is working. Public water systems across the United States, including BWW, are diligently working to find and remove all lead service lines to ensure this public health threat is eliminated for good.

BWW takes the issue of lead in drinking water very seriously, and we offer this fact sheet to help you identify potential sources of lead in your home, learn how lead can affect your health, and most importantly, know how to maintain high-quality water and reduce exposure to lead. 

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Simple Tips To reduce lead exposure in your home  

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Test your water if you are concerned about lead in your drinking water. Customers can request a free water test from BWW.

Inspect your in-home water treatment devices, including water softeners and replace filters following manufacturer’s recommendations. They may store and release lead into your water if not maintained properly.

Filter your water. Use a water filter that is ANSI/NSF 53 certified for lead removal. Many filters and filter systems can improve water quality and taste in other ways too. Visit nsf.org for more information.

Always use cold tap water for drinking and preparing food. Lead may settle and concentrate in hot water tanks. Hot water is more likely to dissolve lead from solder and brass fittings.

Regularly clean faucet aerators. Aerators can collect particles from lead plumbing and should be removed and cleaned on a regular basis. It is especially important after household plumbing work and repairs. After removing the aerator, flush the cold-water lines for 5 minutes.

Flush your tap for at least 5 minutes before drinking or cooking if the water in the faucet has gone unused for more than 6 hours. This will prevent consuming water that has sat exposed to any lead. If you have a known lead service line and your house is set far back from the street, you may need to flush longer. After flushing, use the water for cooking or drinking, or save it in pitchers.

Install lead-free faucets and fixtures that are certified to contain no lead. Look for lead certification marks indicating the new product is lead-free, and then replace old faucets and fixtures. Visit nepis.epa.gov and search for lead-free certification for more information.

Ensure other sources of lead in your home have been removed or properly managed. Consider having your home checked for paint made before 1978, and faucets installed before 1989. Test and remove (or restrict access to) other household items that could contain lead. Be wary of poorly regulated products from overseas, including plastics, beauty products and spices. Check the CDC website to learn about food and consumer products recalled for lead.

Program Resources:

Use the map below to check for lead service lines on your property.

 

Identify your service line material.

BWWB Water Service Line Material Survey

Additional Resources:

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