Minimize Your Risk

Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many decades in products found in and around our homes. Swallowing lead paint chips or breathing in lead paint dust presents the biggest risk of exposure. Lead can also get into drinking water through the corrosion of pipes and plumbing materials that may contain lead.

Ingesting lead can cause health concerns for people of all ages, particularly pregnant women, infants, and young children. In children, low exposure levels have been linked to learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and other issues. No amount of lead is safe.

See what information Louisville Water has about your service line material using our inventory lookup tool. Check our records here.

Maintain Optimal Water Quality

If you want to minimize potential exposure to lead in drinking water, follow these simple steps:

• Run coldwater for a minimum of five minutes, especially after water has been stagnant for more than six hours.
• Only use cold water for cooking or preparing baby formula.
• Never use hot water for consumption.
• Consider purchasing a filter certified by NSF for lead reduction.
• Remove any faucet aerators, soak in vinegar for 15 minutes, and clean any accumulated particles. The aerator is at the top of most faucets and can usually be screwed on and off.
• If work is performed on any lead or galvanized lines, we recommend a 60-minute high velocity cold–water flush from your bathtub. Learn more about flushing your water lines with our step-by-step process. After a lead service line replacement, Louisville Water will provide a pitcher filter and recommends you use that for six months post-replacement. Discard two cycles of ice from automatic machines, clean aerators, and flush your lines daily for five minutes as described above.