Kneehill County's water supply is safe and clean, and meets the new Health Canada guideline. However, the most common sources of lead in drinking water are “at the tap.” In other words, in the plumbing in your house and if you have lead service lines on your property.
Residents who think their homes may have lead fixtures can take measures to reduce their risk of lead exposure.
- Flush standing water in pipes each morning or after returning home at the end of the day—by flushing the toilet, washing your hands, or letting the water run cold. The flushing clears out any water that’s been sitting in the lead pipes. By doing this, you ensure the water is straight from the main service line.
- Use cold water for both drinking and cooking—hot water dissolves more lead from plumbing and boiling water doesn’t remove lead.
- Not all home water-treatment filters remove lead. Before purchasing a filter, check the model to ensure it meets lead reduction certification. It should be NSF-53 certified for lead reduction.
Residents can contact Health Link 24/7 for health information on lead exposure toll-free at 811. The following websites also have good information on how to reduce potential lead exposure.
Water Talk: Reducing your exposure to lead from drinking water
Common questions about lead and drinking water
Drinking water: what about lead?