Lead

Lead in drinking water is a suspected carcinogen. It is also suspected to cause nerve and kidney damage. The human body purges itself of lead very slowly. The mcl of lead in drinking water is 50 ppb. The 90th percentile action level is 15 ppb. The lead level in Battle Ground water is almost always undetectable (less than 1 ppb). The maximum level ever seen has been 12 ppb, and that was from a warm lead service line where the sample water had been standing for thirteen hours. Danger of lead contamination in our drinking water comes mainly from soft water standing in: 1) lead piping, 2) copper piping sweat fitted with lead solder, 3) older brass and bronze fixtures with poor alloy formulas.

Battle Ground water has conformed to the EPA lead and copper rule. I have submitted all samples required, taking them from the points at most risk from lead contamination in hard water. Out of more than 80 samples, lead was only detected in three. Those three were:

1) 5.2 ppb, 2) 5.9 ppb, 3) 12 ppb. The limit of detection is 1.0 ppb. Back to Contents

Edited 07/02/2004