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About Drinking Water

Lead

About Drinking Water

Lead

open_in_full

Lead is a common, naturally occurring metal found throughout the environment.

It rarely occurs naturally in source water supplies like rivers and lakes, and is rarely present in water coming from a treatment plant.

Lead enters drinking water usually as a result of corrosion or wearing away of materials in the water distribution system and household plumbing that contain lead.

The City's water distribution system

As part of the water treatment process, the City of Sacramento takes steps to control water chemistry at our water treatment plants to reduce corrosion in the water distribution system.

Staff test for levels of lead in the City’s source waters and in water distribution system as required by federal and state law.

The most recent test results can be found in the Consumer Confidence Report, which is released every year.

The City recently completed a systemwide service line inventory in accordance with the 2021 Federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions.

With the completion of the systemwide service inventory, the City has confirmed that there are no lead service lines or galvanized service lines requiring replacement within the City’s service area.

Service line inventory tool

Learn about the status of your water service line

Private plumbing

City staff encourage customers who are concerned about lead in their home plumbing to consider the following precautions:

Use the City's service line inventory tool to determine the composition of your water service line.
Have your water tested by a certified laboratory. The State Water Resources Control Board maintains a list of certified laboratories. You can also contact the Board at 510-620-3475 or elapca@waterboards.ca.gov.
Run faucets to flush out water lines after a period of stagnation to get fresh water running through pipes. Consider using the water to flush toilets or water plants to minimize waste.
Purchase a point-of-use treatment device certified to remove lead and make sure the device is properly maintained.
Avoid consuming water from the hot water tap where lead may be present.

Frequently asked questions

Below are several frequently asked questions about lead in drinking water:

What should I know about lead?

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.

Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.

The City of Sacramento Department of Utilities is responsible for providing high quality drinking water.

However, the City cannot control the variety of materials used in private home plumbing.

If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested.

When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure from your home plumbing by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for cooking or drinking.

Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or on the EPA's website.

Should I be worried about lead poisoning?

As defined by State regulations, there are no issues in the City’s distribution system as indicated by test results and our recently completed systemwide service line inventory.

Additionally, the City maintains a corrosion control program to reduce lead leaching.

Lead should not be a concern in homes and buildings that do not have lead in their plumbing system, or where lead components have been replaced.

However, some internal plumbing to the structures of homes and buildings in our service area may have lead pipes, soldered joints, or fixtures containing lead.

It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing.

We recommend that customers with concerns have their water tested at a certified lab.

How does the City test for lead?

The City collects water samples from homeowners’ taps every three years as required by federal and state law.

Participants are chosen based on their homes’ year of construction, taking into consideration the possibility of lead within the structures’ pipelines.

Those test results have always shown the City to be in compliance with federal and state laws.

The City does not offer testing services for lead unless a customer is part of the water quality testing program required by state and federal law.

What can I do to test my home for lead?

If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested.

We recommend using a lab certified by the state Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program.

The State Water Resources Control Board maintains a list of certified laboratories.

You can also contact the Board at 510-620-3475 or elapca@waterboards.ca.gov.

How can I reduce lead in my drinking water?

If your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure.

Flush out the lines by running your faucet for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.

Consider capturing and reusing this water for other uses such as watering ornamental plants.

Avoid consuming water from the hot water tap, where lead, if present, is more likely.

You can find more guidance at DrinkTap.

What about testing for lead in schools?

Recent events in the United States have shown that lead in drinking water remains an on-going public health concern, particularly for children.

The City in 2017 responded proactively to a requirement from the California State Water Resources Control Board that public water systems provide assistance with testing water for lead for any local school that requests it.

Through outreach efforts and coordinating with local school districts, more than 530 samples from 112 schools were tested by the end of the year.

How do I report a water quality issue?

For more information about water quality or to report a water quality concern, please call us at 3-1-1 or 916-808-5011.

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