Attention In-Home Daycare Providers - Lead Prevention
Q: Why should I test my home's water for lead when my city has already tested the water?
A: Your city only tests the public side. They do not test the areas within your property.
Lead testing is recommended for children 1 to 6 years of age and adults who are exposed to high lead levels through their work such as painters, auto repair workers, galvanizers, plumbers, and other professions. Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body and symptoms are not always obvious. The effects of lead exposure cannot be corrected.
The most important step parents and daycare providers can take is to prevent lead exposure before it occurs.
- Get the Facts: Find out about the hazards of lead.
- Get Your Home Tested: Find out how to minimize risks of lead exposure by hiring a certified professional to test older homes for lead.
- Get Your Child Tested: A simple blood test can detect lead. Consult your health care provider for advice on testing your children.
Your Home:
If your structure was built after 1988 with a new water connection, you can be confident that you do not have a lead service line. If your structure or property first got water service before 1988, there is a chance you may have a lead service before 1988, there is a chance you may have a lead service line, even if your structure was remodeled or replaced later. The service line can consist of main different parts of materials. A service line may have up to four distinct portions, as shown in the image above. Any portion, or all portions, can be made of lead.
- The section from the water main in the street to the curb stop near the property line is considered the "public side" and is typically owned by the city. The corporation stop and the curb stop are both valves that can be used to stop the flow of water to your structure.
- In some cases, there is a small "gooseneck" or "pigtail" that bends to connect the service line to the water main. It is often made of lead.
- The section from the curb stop to the house typically runs on private property and is called the "private side."
- The only portion of a service line that can be identified without digging up the pipe is the short piece inside the house that runs to the meter or the main shutoff valve inside the house. The portion inside the house can be a different material than the buried portions of the service line.
What Steps Should You Take Next?
If you are interested to have a test kit sent to you, please contact Courtney Tanner, at the Southeast District Health Department.
402-274-3993 extension, 113
