What are the sources of lead in drinking water?
Lead in drinking water results primarily from corrosion of materials containing lead installed in building plumbing such as lead solder, brass, bronze and other alloys containing lead in contact with the water. The amount of lead attributable to corrosion by-products in the water depends on a number of factors, including the amount and age of lead bearing materials susceptible to corrosion, the way they were manufactured, how long the water is in contact with the lead-containing surfaces, and how corrosive the water is towards these materials. The corrosivity of water is influenced by a number of factors, including acidity, alkalinity, dissolved solids and hardness. In general, soft acidic waters are more corrosive to lead than hard waters.
