Here is a concern from one of our readers that you could and should find interesting. The subject matter applies to many middle-age to older homes.

Recently we have all become aware of lead possibly being present in our drinking water, bathing water and coming from all of our faucets. I know lead can be dangerous and toxic if ingested and none of our family shows any of the symptoms, but honestly I am quite ignorant about this. Is there anything else we should be aware of as it relates to this concern?

The original method of distributing water throughout a house was by installing galvanized water lines. These remained popular until approximately the early 1960s. The biggest problem with these water lines is that they had the tendency to rust, shale from within, eventually restrict water pressure and deteriorate at the joints. The older the pipes are, the more potential there is for leaking.

In the early 1960s, the housing industry decided to change the water lines from the old galvanized steel pipes to copper. Overall, this was a great idea. Copper does not deteriorate with time due to water rushing through it, is easier to install, is relatively light weight and has a very long life expectancy. But as time goes on, copper became more and more expensive to the point that installing copper lines were no longer practical.

Plastic type water lines are now becoming very popular and overall this is what the industry is now gravitating to. These water lines are easy to install, economical and, if installed properly, don’t leak. It appears that this will soon become the norm throughout the housing industry.

But here is the catch. There are still many older homes that have the old-fashioned galvanized steel water lines. Galvanized piping has the tendency to accumulate lead deposits over time. As galvanized steel pipes corrode within and form rust, lead that has accumulated over decades is likely to be found deep in the interior walls of those rusty pipes.

Simply changing the outside water mains that provide the water to the house may only be a part of the solution. Domestic municipality water lines run the water to the house, provide a “stop box” (a large shut off valve) and then from that point on the water pipes are installed by whoever built the house. It becomes the responsibility of the homeowner. If you have a well instead of domestic city water, it is important to have the water from a well-type system tested because that water is put into the pipes directly from the well.

So, what is one to do?

First, determine whether or not you have galvanized water lines. When I inspect a house, one of the main things I’m looking for is what type of water lines are present. Typically speaking, there are a lot fewer problems with the copper or newer plastic. The older galvanized water lines are gray and have a larger knobby-looking joints where the pipes meet each other. They are seen easily in an unfinished basement and usually show evidence of past leaking. Often the water restriction will be seen at different faucets by checking how the water flows. Any water restriction usually shows up on the second floor plumbing, which is farther from the main water supply. Also, the second floor is used less often and the restriction is more common at the hot water side. The increased water temperature accelerates the deterioration within the pipes. Have you ever turned on a faucet in an older home, in an area seldom used, and seen brown liquid spitting out? This is caused by the interior rust of that water line having saturated the sitting water in the pipe.

If you have determined that the pipes are galvanized, it is a good idea to have the water tested periodically for lead content. Talk to the local municipality building department or the county water department for methods of testing. They may be able to recommend professionals that do this for a living. You may want to check with your hardware store or builders supply store to see if they have any “do it yourself” test kits.

After having the water tested, if you still have concerns then your options are to either have an appropriate water filter system installed or have a licensed plumber upgrade your system.

Mitchell Kuffa Jr. is a licensed builder and home inspector in St. Clair. Contact him at InspectionsbyMJK@comcast.net or call (810) 329-4052.