I have over 25 years of experience in the water treatment business for my state.
It is required to monitor for lead and copper every 3 years. Your sampling is determined by the population of the service area. But what I found was the rules the state and the EPA use allow for manipulation of the results If you collect a sample that, has a high result you don't include that in the final report......you just find a sample that has a lower result to include in your report to what ever agency you're reporting to and it's all completely legal. Luckily the water system I worked at for all those years had no lead and copper issues. The lead and copper testing began late 80's when it was found that new homes being built during the 80's and 90's were using copper water pipes and lead solder in the construction of new homes. It was determined that the copper pipes and the high lead content solder that was used were beginning to leach out the lead and copper into their homes . Leading the local, state and federal agencies to institute testing and setting parameters for those contaminates . We called these monitoring parameters MCL's ( MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL ) Yes there are contaminates in your drinking water with allowable contaminates that the local water systems know are in your water but because the way the rules are written and enforced there isn't much that can be done to change the rules. The only thing that usually happens are the mcl's are decreased Which increases the cost of treating water. Which of course are passed on to the consumer. contaminates are being pumped out of every water treatment plant anywhere in the world to unsuspecting customers
And it's a shame .
I'm glad I have a well !
Time to put the soap box away !
