Lead is a common naturally occurring metallic element that can be found in air, soil, and water. It is also a powerful toxin that is harmful to human health. Lead was commonly used in gasoline and paint until the 1970s and is still sometimes found in products such as ceramics, batteries, ammunition, and cosmetics. Lead has historically been used in plumbing because of its pliability and resistance to leaks up until the last 50 years when the risk to public health was more recognized and measures taken to limit its use.

Lead rarely occurs naturally in water supplies such as rivers and lakes. Lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of the corrosion, or wearing away, of materials containing lead in the water distribution system and household plumbing. These materials include lead-based solder used to join copper pipe, brass and chrome plated brass faucets, and in some cases, pipes made of lead that connect your house to the water main (service lines). Federal laws passed in 1986 and 2014 reduced the amount of lead that can be used in plumbing materials to 0.25% of the wetted surface, but did not require replacement of existing plumbing or services containing lead.

Lead can cause health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain to lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first established a lead and copper rule in 1991 to help reduce exposure and associated health effects from lead in drinking water. EPA revised the rule in 2021, requiring water service providers across the country to determine where lead pipes exist in their systems, including the pipes on the customer side, by 2024.

The City is in the process of inventorying all of our infrastructure, including customers’ service line materials that are connected to the public system. The City has also developed a Survey customers can use to report if they have lead or galvanized service lines. Identifying where lead or galvanized metal pipes exist on the customer side can help the City determine where lead may exist on the water system side. In the future, the City will share the pipe inventory online and provide information to customers who potentially have lead or galvanized metal on the private, property owner side.

EPA’s Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water

EPA’s Sources of Lead in Drinking Water & Information to Reduce Exposure to Lead

CDC Lead in Drinking Water Information

City of Bardstown Consumer Confidence Reports (Includes Lead levels found in Sampling)

The service line beyond the meter is owned by the Customer and therefore is the Customers responsibility to maintain and replace as needed. You can perform your own home test or contact the City and provide a sample for the City to test (fees may apply). You will be responsible for evaluating your level of risk and cost of mitigation.