Water service lines are small pipes that carry water from the City of Boynton Beach's water mains, located in the streets, into individual homes and other buildings.

The City of Boynton Beach is responsible for the service line from the main in the street to the meter. The property owner is responsible for the service line from the meter to the house.

Service lines can be made of lead, galvanized steel, plastic, brass, copper, cast iron or ductile iron.

Lead was used for water service lines in some areas until 1960 and in household plumbing fixtures and solder until 1986, when it was banned. From 1986 to 2014, plumbing fixtures could have up to 8% lead to be categorized as “lead free.” However, current standards for “lead free” fixtures allow no more than 0.25% lead content.

Lead can be found in paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, batteries, and cosmetics. Plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, fittings, etc.), indoor copper plumbing pipes contain lead solder.

All lead exposure has risk. Therefore, there is no safe level of lead. However, 15mg/l or less of lead is currently considered acceptable.

Lead can get into drinking water from the plumbing inside your building or the service line between the street and your building. When water sits in the service line or your building's plumbing without being used for several hours, such as overnight, the lead may dissolve into the water.  

When water leaves The City of Boynton Beach’s water treatment plant, it is clean and lead-free. The water mains underground that transport water from the treatment plant do not add lead to the drinking water. Lead can get into drinking water from the service line between the street and your home, or from the lead solder used in the plumbing inside your home. When water sits in the service line or your home plumbing without being used for several hours, the lead may dissolve into the water.  

If you think you have lead solder, flush your system by running cold water for about 5 minutes whenever the water in your home has not been used for more than 6 hours. A licensed plumber can also replace pipes that have lead solder with lead-free pipes.

Yes! You can buy a National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) 53-certified water filtration system, which can be installed at the faucet, or a filter pitcher that will remove lead. A water filter installed at the faucet will remove lead that may have entered the water from the service line, indoor plumbing, and plumbing fixtures. Visit this website for more information about NSF filters and a list of certified filters.

Proper maintenance is crucial for the effectiveness of water filters. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for replacing filters regularly to ensure they continue to remove lead effectively. You can find a list of lead in drinking water outreach resources here.

The EPA offers guidelines and videos on how to sample your home's water for lead. These resources provide step-by-step instructions for collecting water samples to test for lead and copper.

The EPA has updated its tap sampling requirements to prioritize sampling from sites with lead service lines and to ensure accurate results by changing sampling procedures. You can view additional information on the EPA's lead and copper rule here.

Exposure to high levels of lead is a serious health risk. Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells, and kidneys. The greatest risk is to young children, pregnant women, and unborn babies. Amounts of lead that will not harm adults can slow down the normal mental and physical development of children, particularly those under 6 years old.

You can take several actions to decrease your lead exposure, including:

• Replacing your lead service line.  
• Getting a National Sanitation Foundation(NSF)-Certified home water treatment device, faucet, or pitcher filter that removes lead. The device must be both NSF 42- and NSF 53- certified to remove lead. Devices and filters installed at the faucet will remove any lead contained in indoor plumbing and plumbing fixtures.  
• Buying plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, hose bibs, etc.) that have zero- or low-lead content meeting the current “lead-free” requirements. Read the labels of any new plumbing fixtures closely.
• Running tap water for about five minutes before you use it for drinking or cooking, if the water has gone unused for more than 6 hours. In doing so, you are flushing the stagnated water and getting freshwater from the water main pipe.
• Using fresh, cold, running water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula.
• Removing and cleaning faucet screens and aerators every 6 months.

DO NOT boil water to remove lead. Boiling water does not remove lead and can increase lead concentration in water.

Yes. Human skin does not absorb lead in water. Bathing and showering should be safe for you and your children, even if the water contains lead over EPA’s action level.

Visit the EPA’s Lead andCopper Rule website

Not necessarily. If you live in a building that was built before 1986, it is possible that your plumbing fixtures contain lead or lead solder was used at the joints of your interior piping. A licensed plumber can help figure out if you have lead material in your indoor plumbing, or you can use an EPA-approved lead test kit: List of EPA-approved lead test kits

You may want to consider purchasing bottled water or a water filter. If purchasing a water filter, read the packaging to be sure that the filter is approved to reduce lead. You can also contact NSF International at 800-NSF-8010 or visit their website here for information on performance standards for water filters. Be sure to maintain and replace a filter device in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to protect water quality.