Keeping Connecticut's Water Safe

Lead is a metal that can harm your health, especially for children and pregnant women. Even small amounts can damage a child’s brain, causing learning problems and lower IQ. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water.

In children under 6:

• Brain and learning problems
• Behavior issues
• Slowed growth
• Hearing damage

In pregnant women:

• Risk of miscarriage
• High blood pressure during pregnancy
• Harm to the baby’s brain and development

In adults:

• Fertility problems
• Kidney damage
• High blood pressure
• Memory problems
• Joint and muscle pain

The only way to know is with a blood test. Connecticut law requires children under 6 to be tested. Talk to your doctor about testing if you’re concerned.

Lead gets into water from old pipes and plumbing parts. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes or parts. When water flows through these pipes, it can pick up lead.

The only way to know for sure is to test your water. You can:

• Contact a state-approved lab to test your water. Click here to view a current list of certified labs that test drinking water 
• Check your water utility’s yearly Water Quality Report. Click here to help you better understand your water quality report 
• Ask your water supplier about lead testing

Your water supplier needs to find out what your pipes are made of to protect your health. Between the 1880s and 1940s, many water lines were made with lead. The government banned lead pipes in 1986, but many old ones are still in use. After lead got into drinking water in cities like Flint, Michigan, the EPA created a new rule in 2021. This rule requires water suppliers to find all lead pipes and replace them. That’s why they’re asking questions about your water service line.

If you have a private well, you are not a customer of a public water supplier. This means you are responsible for your home’s water supply. Some older homes may have plumbing systems that were constructed with materials that may contain lead. DPH recommends testing for lead at least once and more frequently if a pregnant person or children under the age of 6 years reside or frequently visit your home. For more information on lead and private well water, click here.

A water service line is the pipe that brings water from the main water line to your home. If this pipe is made of lead, it can put lead in your drinking water. Water suppliers are working to find and replace these lead pipes.

1. Find where the pipe enters your home (usually in the basement)
2. Gently scratch the pipe with a coin – lead is soft and will show a silver color
3. Try a magnet – it won’t stick to lead
4. Contact your water supplier if you think your pipe is lead

• Run cold water for 2 minutes before using it for drinking or cooking
• Always use cold water for drinking, cooking, and baby formula
• Clean your faucet aerator (the screen at the end) regularly
• Use a filter certified to remove lead
• Do not boil water to remove lead – this doesn’t work

If you find lead pipes in your home, contact your water supplier. There may be funding to help replace them. For health concerns, talk with your doctor about testing for lead exposure.

For more information about testing for lead poisoning, visit the CDC website at: CDC Lead Testing Information

You should call your public water system with any questions regarding their efforts to identify and eliminate lead pipes.