What is the City doing about the elevated lead levels in household tap water?
DEP has an active program to reduce the amount of lead that dissolves into tap water, especially in homes with lead service lines or lead soldering in pipes. DEP carefully and continuously monitors and adjusts pH levels of water to a specific range that reduces the corrosiveness of the water. DEP also adds phosphoric acid—a common food preservative—to create a protective film on pipes that reduces the release of metals, such as lead, from household plumbing. Since these treatments were started, the levels of lead in tap water have been going down.
Related Questions
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