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Home Lead Preventative Measures

Lead Prevention Steps

There are regular actions that all customers can take to ensure the highest quality of water is coming out of your tap, especially if there is the possibility of lead in your plumbing system and after a disruption of service.

The following list is provided by USEPA. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to imply that all actions equally reduce lead from drinking water.

  • Use your filter properly.  Using a filter can reduce lead in drinking water. If you use a filter, make sure you use a filter certified to remove lead. Read the directions to learn how to properly install and use your cartridge and when to replace it. Using the cartridge after it has expired can make it less effective at removing lead. Do not run hot water through the filter.
  • Clean your aerator. Regularly clean your faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator). Sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator. If lead particles are caught in the aerator, lead can get into your water.
  • Use cold water. Use only cold water for drinking, cooking and making baby formula. Remember, boiling water does not remove lead from water.
  • Run your water. The more time water has been sitting in pipes, the more lead it may contain. Before drinking, flush your home’s pipes by running the tap, taking a shower, doing laundry, or doing a load of dishes. The amount of time to run the water will depend on whether your home has a lead service line or not, and the length of the lead service line. Residents should contact their water utility for recommendations about flushing times in their community.
  • Learn if you have a lead service line. Find out if the pipe that connects your home to the water main (called a service line) is made from lead. Visit our Service Line Material Map or our page on Testing Your Service Line to determine the material used.
  • Learn about construction in your neighborhood.  If you have a lead service line, you should be aware of any nearby construction or maintenance work that could disturb the line. Ground tremors from construction may suddenly cause more lead to be released from a lead service lines in the area. 
  • Have your water tested. Visit the Ohio EPA Monitoring and Reporting website to find a list of Drinking Water Sample Collection Services. The list can be found in the third tab of the link listed in this bullet.

Whole House Flushing Procedure

  1. Remove all aerator screens from every faucet and fixture in your home and leave each aerator in a container or bowl by the faucet from which it came.
    • If a tub includes a showerhead, use the tub faucet and not the shower head, to flush the plumbing.
    • If a showerhead is the only way to flush a line, and if the showerhead cannot easily be removed, do not use the shower for flushing.
  2. Disconnect or bypass all faucet filters, under-counter treatment units, and full-house treatment systems.
  3. Determine the faucet that is closest to where the service line enters your home. If this is an outdoor spigot, turn this on first as high as it goes. Otherwise start in the basement or lowest floor of your home. Turn the COLD WATER on as high as it goes.
  4. Continue opening all faucets, including tubs, utility sinks and outdoor spigots, until all faucets are open on all floors. Every faucet in your home should be turned on at the same time.
  5. After all faucets are open, let the water run for at least 30 minutes. Running the cold water should move lead particles, if they exist, out of your drinking (potable) water system.
  6. After 30 minutes, turn off the first faucet you opened. Then turn off all other faucets in the same order you turned them on until all cold water faucets are closed.
  7. Clean and reattach the aerators to each faucet. If an aerator cannot be cleaned, do not reattach it. Use your faucet without the aerator until you can buy a replacement at your local hardware store or online.
  8. If you have an under-counter or whole-house treatment unit, reconnect and turn it back on at this time.

Additional Links and Resources