Details about the federal rule regarding lead in water

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A federal rule that took effect in 1991 is designed to protect the public from unsafe levels of lead in drinking water.

Water systems are supposed to collect samples from buildings that are at highest risk of lead contamination.

What is the threshold for the EPA considering a water system in violation?

A system is considered out of compliance if more than 10 percent of the sites sampled have lead levels above the federal-action level of 15 parts per billion.

Within 60 days, the system must notify customers about the test results, inform them of the possible health risks and outline steps they can take to protect themselves.

Buying water filters and bottled water also are options.

Often, systems use a chemical such as phosphate to make the water less corrosive and therefore less likely to leach lead from service lines and plumbing fixtures.

[...] most schools are not required to do testing under the rule.

Public and private schools and day care facilities that rely on a municipal water system are not required to test, although some do in the interest of safety.

Just because your community is over or under the federal limit does not mean the drinking water at your house is safe or unsafe.