The Unsuspected Dangers of Ordinary Water in Household Piping Systems.

Part 1:

By Larry Gillanders

The following is the first in a four-part series of articles on the dangerous situations occurring in ordinary tap water in most U.S. homes today. This series covers the most common causes of water contamination; the health hazards associated with poor quality water; the household piping problems caused by supposedly pure water; and solutions to eliminate these problems and ensure good quality water supply in homes.

Water is the essence of life itself. It makes up about 98 per cent of the human body and without it no living beings could survive. But sometimes water can be an unexpected danger if it's contaminated -- and given the state of today's plumbing and water supply systems, people are discovering that what looks to be healthy and pure water coming out of their faucets may not be good for people or pipes.

All too often poor quality water can contain higher than allowable levels of lead and copper, which can affect people's health. The naturally occurring corrosive effects of treated water can also break down copper piping inside a home, causing pinhole leaks that damage walls and cause mold formation. How can this happen in today's modern supply systems?

Unfortunately many of the harmful effects of treated water are now caused by the very treatment process itself. A major theory as to why lead and leaks are showing up involves an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirement, initiated in 1991 that called for water districts to remove natural organic material (NOM) from drinking water. This sounded like a good idea, since in theory it would enhance water quality. To comply with this mandate, however, many water districts changed the way they treated drinking water, which created chloramines that purify the water but which also have unintended side effects on water pipes in the average home.

Harmful Treatment Process

After following this EPA mandate many districts discovered that NOMs were somehow related to the creation of a natural protective barrier coating on the inside of copper pipes. They learned that not only was the coating not able to form under the new treatment rules, but if it had already formed, it was now only taking a short period of time for the "new" quality water to strip away that natural barrier coating protection.

This resulted not only in corrosion of copper pipes, causing pinhole leaks, but in rising levels of lead contamination from old pipes and solder joints, which can cause serious health problems.

Corrosion is a constant in metal pipes and eventually will result in tiny pinhole leaks that soak the insides of walls. If caught early on, these only require repair of the leak and replacement of the wet plaster or wallboard. If not caught in time, mold can form and grow, becoming a serious health hazard to the occupants of the home.

An even more serious health problem is the leaching of metals, such as lead and copper, into the water that passes through a corroding pipe. Lead isn't a natural component of drinking water. Lead contamination most often occurs in the water delivery system, and household plumbing is usually the culprit when it comes to high levels of metals in drinking water. Lead and/or copper pipes, fittings and other components are commonly found in many plumbing systems. Metallic alloys such as brass and bronze often contain lead, so brass faucets or plumbing fittings may also release lead into home water systems.

Older houses and apartments are more likely to have problems than new ones. Before 1988, lead piping and lead solder were widely used in household plumbing systems. In June of 1988, a ban on lead in drinking water components was passed in the U.S., making it illegal to use lead solder or lead piping in water distribution systems. Any house built after 1988 should have a lead-free plumbing system. However, some plumbers have continued to illegally use lead solder because it's easier to work with than newer formulations.

Testing For Leaks & Hazards

It's recommended that homeowners have their water quality tested at every tap in the house to check for metals and other dissolved pollutants resulting from contact with corroding pipes. People should also do a simple check for leaks by shutting off all faucets and other water outlets in the home, then checking to see if the water meter is still running. That can indicate whether there's potentially a leak problem.

Coming in Part 2 - The serious health problems that can result from exposure to lead, copper and other minerals in household water supplies.

Larry Gillanders is CEO & Chief Technology Officer of ACE DuraFlo Systems, LLC, in Placentia, Calif., a leading developer of unique barrier coating technology used to repair and prevent water pipe problems. http://www.aceduraflo.com