What You Need to Know About Lead in Drinking Water in 2026

Lead contamination in drinking water has been a known public health issue for decades, but the Flint Water Crisis in 2014 thrust it back into the national spotlight. That crisis revealed something water professionals have understood for a long time: Lead exposure in drinking water comes from aging plumbing infrastructure, not treatment plants. 

Millions of homes across the United States are still connected to municipal water systems through lead service lines. Even homes without lead service lines can have lead-containing plumbing in their home, which can leach lead into their drinking water.   

Recent regulatory changes have brought renewed attention to the issue. In October 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized updates to the Lead and Copper Rule, known as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).  

While these changes represent meaningful progress, replacing in-ground infrastructure across thousands of communities will take years. Understanding how lead enters drinking water and how exposure can be reduced remains important today.

Quick Summary

• What is lead?: Lead is a toxic metal that has historically been used in plumbing materials such as service lines, solder, and brass fixtures. 
• How does lead contaminate drinking water?: Lead contamination almost always comes from plumbing materials containing lead. 
• Health concerns: Lead exposure is linked to developmental delays and learning problems in children, as well as cardiovascular and kidney effects in adults. 
• What you can do: Testing your water and using filtration systems certified for lead reduction are two of the most effective steps households can take. 

What Is Lead?

Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal that builders historically used in plumbing materials because it is soft, corrosion-resistant, and easy to work with. 

For much of the 20th century, builders commonly used lead in: 

• Water service lines connecting homes to municipal systems 
• Lead-based solder used to join copper pipes 
• Brass plumbing fixtures and valves 
• Household paint and gasoline additives 

Although regulators phased out many of these uses beginning in the late 20th century, older infrastructure still contains significant amounts of lead. 

How Does Lead Get Into Drinking Water?

Lead primarily enters drinking water through corrosion of plumbing materials.  Utilities attempt to limit corrosion by adding corrosion-control chemicals, most commonly orthophosphate, to the water supply. Orthophosphate forms a protective mineral coating inside pipes that helps reduce how much lead dissolves into the water.  

Lead can enter water in two primary forms.

Dissolved lead 

Small amounts of lead can dissolve directly into water when plumbing materials corrode.

Particulate lead

Lead can break loose as tiny particles when corrosion destabilizes plumbing materials or when pipes are disturbed during plumbing work or construction. These particles can sometimes cause sudden spikes in measured lead levels.

What Plumbing Materials Contain Lead? 

Although most lead-containing or lead-leaching plumbing materials have been regulated as of 2026, many historical materials continue to service homes across the US.

Lead service lines

Service lines are the pipes that connect homes to municipal water mains. Millions of lead service lines were installed in the United States during the early and mid-20th century. Somewhere between 4-9 million remain in service today.

Lead solder

Until the mid-1980s, lead-based solder was commonly used to join copper pipes in residential plumbing. Traditional plumbing solder typically contained 40-50 percent lead. Because solder joints are present throughout plumbing systems, they are a potential source of lead in the home.   

The 1986 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) banned the use of lead solder in potable water systems. However, homes built or renovated before that time may still contain solder joints made with these high-lead alloys. 

Brass fixtures and valves

Many faucets, valves, and fittings are made from brass alloys that historically contained lead. Manufacturers added lead to brass because it made the metal easier to machine.

Because plumbing systems often remain in service for decades, many homes still contain components installed under earlier standards. As a result, lead can still enter drinking water even when newer plumbing materials meet modern “lead-free” requirements.

Why You Should Care

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) both agree that there is no safe level of lead exposure for children, because even small amounts can interfere with brain development. 

Furthermore, research has linked lead exposure to: 

• Reduced IQ and learning difficulties in children 
• Behavioral and developmental delays 
• Increased blood pressure and cardiovascular risks in adults 
• Kidney damage and reproductive effects 

Children are particularly vulnerable because developing nervous systems are more sensitive to lead exposure.  But exposure to lead should be avoided among all age groups. 

Which Buildings are Most at Risk of Lead Contamination?

The following buildings and structures are at the highest risk of lead contamination: 

• Homes built before 1986, when lead solder was widely used 
• Homes connected to lead service lines 
• Older plumbing systems with brass fixtures containing lead 
• Buildings where water sits stagnant in pipes for extended periods like schools 

Private well owners face a different challenge. Unlike municipal water systems, private wells are not regulated by the EPA. Homeowners on private wells are responsible for testing and managing their own water quality. 

Testing water at the tap is the only reliable way to determine whether lead is present in a specific household’s water. 

How is Lead Regulated In Drinking Water?

Federal regulation of lead in drinking water is governed by the EPA Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). 

In October 2024, the EPA finalized Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), which introduced several major changes: 

• Lowering the lead action level from 15 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion 
• Requiring utilities to identify all lead service lines 
• Mandating the replacement of lead service lines nationwide 

Under the current rule, utilities must complete lead service line replacement programs over roughly a ten-year timeline, with national replacement efforts extending into the mid-2030s. 

While this rule significantly accelerates infrastructure replacement, the scale of the problem remains large. Millions of lead service lines still exist across the United States, and replacing them requires significant time, funding, and construction. 

How Do Cities Test for Lead Contamination in Drinking Water?

Because lead contamination comes from the plumbing, not the source, cities must collect samples at homes’ faucets instead of at the treatment plant.  

How Sampling is Conducted

First, cities must identify the homes that have the highest risk of having lead-containing plumbing, service lines. These areas are at the highest risk of lead leaching and contamination. 

During testing, samples must be "first-draw," meaning the water must have sat undisturbed in the pipes for at least 6 hours (but no more than 12) before collection.  First-draw sampling is conducted because it simulates how water regularly sits stagnant in the home (e.g., overnight, during the work day).  Testing under these conditions gives a more representative measurement than allowing pipes to flush prior to collecting the sample.   

How Results are Calculated 

All sample results from the monitoring period are ranked from lowest to highest. The value at the 90th percentile mark is reported. 

If the 90th percentile value exceeds 15 parts per billion (ppb), the city has an "Action Level Exceedance" and must take corrective steps, such as adjusting corrosion control or replacing lead lines.

What You’ll See in the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)

By law, the CCR must include a table showing:  

• The 90th percentile concentration of the most recent sampling round 
• The range of all individual tap results (from lowest to highest) 
• The number of sites that exceeded the action level 
• Information on how to access the full results and educational facts on reducing exposure 

Because lead contamination comes from the plumbing, not the source, cities must collect samples at homes’ faucets instead of at the treatment plant.    

How to Reduce Exposure to Lead

Regulations are ever-changing and usually don’t keep pace with the speed of science. So, it’s important to take steps to reduce your lead exposure at home.

Use Water Filters With NSF/ANSI Standard 53 Certifications For Lead Reduction

Look for filtration systems certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction. Certification is granted on a contaminant-by-contaminant basis, so it is important to review the product’s performance data sheet to confirm that the system is specifically certified to reduce lead. 

Run Faucet for 2-3 Minutes Before Using Your Tap Water

If the water has been sitting stagnant for several hours, running the tap for 2-3 minutes before using it for drinking or cooking can significantly reduce lead levels.  This is because running the water flushes the stagnant water that has been sitting in the home’s pipes. 

Take Steps To Understand Your Lead Risk Today

Lead in drinking water is primarily a legacy infrastructure problem. Many homes still contain plumbing materials installed under older standards, and replacing those systems takes time. Until that work is complete, understanding your plumbing, testing your water, and using properly certified filtration can help reduce exposure and give households greater control over their drinking water. 

Want to learn more about filtering lead from your home's water? Hydroviv's Water Experts are available to answer more questions through live chat.