[dropcap]U[/dropcap]nder the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and related EPA regulations, suppliers are required to test their water for many contaminants including lead.
Contrary to what people believe, hot water holds less calcium than cold water.
Lead in water is a problem nationally as well as in Washington DC. Lead gets into the water from pesticides or other contamination from the soil.
Soft water is the worse since soft water is aggressive at leaching metals from your piping and faucets. Also warm water is more corrosive than cold water.
Soft water is great for doing laundry but not great for cooking and drinking. Drinking water should be hard containing minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
Lead can also leach from pipes and faucets made of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc that may contain lead impurities
The amount of lead corroded from metal plumbing generally increases as water corrosivity increases. Water corrosivity is controlled primarily by the water’s acidity and calcium carbonate content.
