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ISSN 1324-6011 Incorporating Lead Aware Times ( ISSN 1440-4966) and Lead Advisory Service News ( ISSN 1440-0561) |
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Lead in
Drinking Water in Australia Fact sheet written and illustrated by Patricia Parkinson, Lead Advisory Service Australia
The main concern, however, arises out of the common use of lead based solder on brass fittings and copper pipes up until as recently as 1989. As a result of corrosion, there is a potential for the lead to leach into the water after prolonged contact. It is therefore the consumption of first flush water – the first cup of tea in the morning – which presents a hazard. This was demonstrated in a study conducted by Dr Brian Gulson, in 1992 in the Sydney suburbs of Turramurra, Burwood, and Epping and in Broken Hill in the far west of New South Wales. The study revealed that the lead levels in first flush tap water in many cases exceeded the acceptable level. Further studies conducted in Perth (WA) in 1993 on cold water from kitchen taps have indicated that 5% of samples were above the acceptable lead level as defined by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), 2% were above the limit for cadmium and 12% above the limit for copper. The maximum acceptable level of lead (and other heavy metals) in drinking water has been established by the NHMRC in the "Australian Drinking Water Guidelines" at 0.01 mg/L (lowered from 0.05 mg/L). And yes, as your plumber should be able to tell you, the use of lead based solder on drinking water pipes has been banned in Australia since 1989 (see box). However, there is virtually no monitoring of the water quality at the kitchen tap. Water quality monitoring takes place before the water reaches your home, with the exception of the occasional monitoring at the garden tap. This is not going to tell you whether the water in your kitchen is safe after travelling in your plumbing system.
What can you do about it? Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your family if you suspect that lead based solder was used in your home:
If your drinking water comes from a rainwater tank… You
should definitely have your tap water tested for lead by a laboratory. Government policies on lead in drinking water in Australia The recommendations of the National Strategy for Reducing Lead Exposure in Australia, include to:- "implement a pilot program for testing lead in first flush drinking water, rainwater tanks and drinking fountains; conduct education programs to inform home handy persons of the dangers in using lead solder in plumbing and review drinking water guidelines for lead in context of an overall lead reduction strategy." Contact your state health department to ask for an update on this policy and for information on the education program in your state.
References:
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The LEAD Group Inc. Fact Sheet Index
1. About the Global Lead Advice and Support Service (GLASS) |
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Last
Updated 18 February 2010
Copyright © The LEAD Group Inc. 1991- 2010 PO Box 161 Summer Hill NSW 2130 Australia Phone: +61 2 9716 0014 Fax: +61 2 9716 9005 |
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In Australia,
little is heard about drinking water as a source of lead poisoning, probably
because – unlike Europe and the US – lead pipe plumbing is not
widespread in Australian homes. The late Lead Reference Centre (a section of
NSW Environment Protection Authority devoted to lead policy and education
from 1997-9) has not even devoted a fact sheet to the subject. Nevertheless,
it may be an issue worth investigating if your home was built prior to the
1930’s, when copper pipes replaced lead pipes. 
