Lead enters drinking water through corrosion in lead pipes or plumbing materials. The source of lead in water could be old service lines that connect homes to the water main in the street. These service lines are a joint responsibility. The District owns the portion of the line from the water main to the curb, and homeowners are responsible for the portion from the curb to their home.
Additional sources of lead in water include:
- Interior lead pipe
- Interior galvanized pipe (especially if there was, or is a full or partial lead service line)
- Interior copper pipe with lead soldered joints (installed prior to 1988)
- Interior plumbing fixtures (purchased or installed prior to January 2014)