General Tips for Good Water Quality
- Do not use water from your hot taps for drinking, eating, cooking, or baking. Hot water is more likely to leach minerals or metals from the plumbing. Boiling water does not remove lead. Only consume water from your cold taps, then heat it up if needed.
- Run your cold water tap for at least three minutes, or until cold, any time you have not used water for six or more hours. This flushing time can be reduced if combined with other water like flushing toilets, showering, or running household appliances like the dishwasher or washing machine.
- If you are using a water filter system, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Properly condition new filters before their first use and replace used filter cartridges as required.
- Take note of construction in your area. Following these general water quality tips is particularly important if construction is occurring near your property, as ground disturbance has the potential to disturb the service line and temporarily increase lead levels in your tap water.
- Install a water filter and ensure the filter you choose is NSF-53 Certified for lead reduction.
- If you have plumbing fixtures, such as faucets that contain lead or leaded brass, replace them with lead-free fixtures.
