Lead & Drinking Water

Our first job is to protect the families we serve. Those of us involved in managing, cleaning and delivering water share a solemn obligation to protect public health. The Connecticut Department of Public Health (CTDPH) is the regulatory agency for drinking water in our state, and they provide strong oversight to their partners, including the RWA. They make sure we are providing our consumers with the highest quality water possible.

The water that leaves our water treatment plants and travels through water mains to homes or businesses has no lead in it. But as water sits in plumbing systems, small amounts of lead from lead pipes or lead solder used to join copper pipes can dissolve into the water. Lead service lines, the pipes that connect your house to the water main in the street, are the largest source of lead in contact with drinking water.

There are several sources to get more information on lead and drinking water:

Connecticut Department of Public Health – Lead Fact Sheet
Connecticut Department of Public Health – Certified Laboratories
Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Information
Safe Drinking Water Hotline Phone: 1-800-426-4791
American Water Works Association – Drink Tap
American Association of Pediatrics – Lead in Tap Water Fact Sheet