You probably thought that lead poisoning was a problem of the past, right? Unfortunately, lead in your water is all too common. Lead in your water is a threat to your health and even worse for those who are most vulnerable: children.

According to the EPA’s own statistics, a lead dosage that would have little effect on an adult can seriously harm small children.(1) But if you trust the EPA to protect your drinking water from heavy metals, you may be risking the health of both yourself and your family

In the few moments it takes to read today’s Health Alert, you’ll find out why lead is still a problem in your water supply. You’ll also discover my favorite choices for removing pollutants from your water.

What Were They Thinking?

In 1991, the EPA set the limit for lead exposure in water at 15 parts per billion, (ppb). If at more than 10 of 100 samples are higher than 15 ppb, the city’s utility has to reduce the lead in your water.

So in reality, even if your utility claims your city’s water is under the EPA’s limit, it doesn’t mean the water that comes to your house is okay. It simply means that no more than 10 percent of its customers had lead levels above 15 ppb.

To avoid the cost of protecting you from lead, utilities all over the country manipulate the results of their tests. By testing areas they know are low and avoiding samples they know are too high, they keep the results within “safe” levels.

The Washington Post recently reported that cities including Boston, Philadelphia and New York City withheld hundreds of tests that would have put their levels above Federal limits.(2)

Lead exposure damages your brain, kidneys, nervous system, and red blood cells. The need for a reliable water filtration system is clear. For children, lead causes learning disabilities, stunted growth and lower IQ.(3)

How to Get the Lead Out

Thankfully, lead in your water is avoidable. Below, are my two favorites:

• Pressure Systems – With this method, your water is compressed to 8 atmospheres of pressure. The molecules are squeezed together so tight, all contaminants and toxins are eliminated. This way no chlorine or chemical processing is needed. If you can afford it, this is a good way to go. Expect to pay about $5,000 for a home system.

• Ozonation Technology – After years of experimenting with a range of products, ozonation technology is by far the most efficient, reliable and affordable.

A method called, “corona discharge” adds a third atom to oxygen molecules, thereby creating ozone. As the ozone moves through the water, the third atom seeks out and destroys all impurities.

Instead of simply filtering your water, this system actually purifies it. Unlike carbon filters, ozonation also removes other dangerous elements found in your tap water like bacteria, cryptosporidium, nitrates and of course, lead.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

(1) Lead and Your Drinking Water. April 1987. Office of Water, United States Environmental Protection Agency.

(2) Lead Levels in Water Misrepresented Around US. The Washington Post. October 5, 2004, page A01.

(3)‘Safe’ Lead Levels Affect IQ. BBC News, UK Edition. April 16, 2003.