Testing for Lead
If you want to know if your home's drinking water contains unsafe levels of lead, have your water tested. Testing is the only way to confirm if lead is present or absent. Water systems test for lead as a regular part of water monitoring. However these tests give a system-wide picture and do not reflect conditions at a specific drinking water outlet.
Needham recommends taking samples from the kitchen's cold water faucet and also a first flush sample. Under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, Needham samples the first flush water that has been standing unused for six or more hours, usually overnight. This checks the water in a worst-case scenario. To check the water that is more representative of your daily use, a sample should be taken after running the faucet for at least two minutes.
Lead analyses must be performed by EPA certified laboratories. Please contact the Water Treatment Facility for a list of laboratories that conduct private testing.