The Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) is taking steps to stop lead from getting into your tap water. The MWRA treats water to make it less likely that lead could enter tap water from household pipes. Efforts to control water corrosivity include the addition of sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide to adjust the water's pH and alkalinity levels. 尽管做出了这些努力，一些家庭或建筑物中的铅含量仍然很高. 因为每家的内部管道都不一样, consumers are advised to continue taking precautions to prevent exposure to lead from drinking water.
To monitor lead levels, MWRA and BWSC test tap water in homes in the City of Boston. 根据环境保护局(EPA)的规定, 可能有高铅含量的房屋, 通常是老房子，可能有铅服务管道或铅焊料, are tested only after water has been sitting unused in the pipes for a minimum of 6 hours. The EPA rule requires that 90% of these worst-case samples must have lead levels below the EPA Action Level of 15 parts per billion (ppb). 尽管大多数家庭的饮用水含铅量很低, 一些家庭的铅含量可能超过15 ppb的行动标准.
There are steps you can take in your home to reduce your risk of exposure to lead. BWSC has a program to continue the replacement of lead service connections in its system. 领导更替激励计划 was created to encourage Boston's homeowners to replace the private lead water service at their property. For more information download our No Cost Private 引领 Replacement Incentive Program brochure.
找出你是否有铅服务线，以及如何更换它, 请致电热线 617-989-7888.
减少铅接触的方法
冲洗你的系统
Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive measure you can take to protect your family's health. Flushing usually uses less than one or two gallons of water and costs less than 50 cents per month. 冲, let the water run from the tap before using it for drinking or cooking any time the water in a faucet has gone unused for more than six hours. The longer water resides in your home's plumbing, the more lead it may contain. Flushing the tap means running the cold water faucet until the water gets noticeably colder, 通常约15 - 30秒. 如果你的房子有一条通往总水管的铅管, 你可能需要冲洗更长的时间, 也许一分钟, 在饮用之前. Although toilet flushing or showering flushes water through a portion of your home's plumbing system, you still need to flush the water in each faucet before using it for drinking or cooking.
节约用水, 冲洗完水龙头后装满几瓶饮用水, 只要有可能，用第一次冲水洗碗或浇花.
如果你住在高层建筑里, 在使用之前让水流动可能不会减少你的铅的风险. 这是因为高层管道系统有更多, 有时比小的建筑更大的管道. Ask your landlord for help in locating the source of the lead and for advice on reducing the lead level.
烹饪、饮用和准备婴儿配方奶粉时只使用冷水
Do not to cook with, drink, or prepare baby formula using water from the hot water tap. 热水比冷水溶解铅的速度更快. 如果你需要热水，从冷水龙头里取水，然后在炉子上加热. 不烧开水去铅吗. 沸水不会减少铅.
测试你家的铅含量
The only way to determine the level of lead in your tap water is to have it tested for lead by a state certified laboratory. 测试水的费用通常在15美元到50美元之间. Visit the MWRA's website to obtain a list of laboratories certified by DEP to test drinking water for lead.
测试你的孩子是否含铅
Contact your child's pediatrician or your local health department to find out how you can get your child tested for lead. A blood lead level is the only way to know if your child is being exposed to lead. 欲了解更多信息，请致电617-532-9571与公共卫生部联系.
确定你的供水系统是否由铅制成
Determine whether the service line that connects your home or apartment to the water main is made of lead. 如果维修管线是铅制的，请更换.
EPA indicates that the best way to determine if your service line is made of lead is by either hiring a licensed plumber to inspect the line or by contacting the plumbing contractor who installed the line. A licensed plumber can at the same time check to see if your home's plumbing contains lead solder, 铅管, 或含铅的管件. You may be able to identify the plumbing contractor who installed the original plumbing by checking the city's records of building permits.
BWSC maintains records of the materials located in the distribution system and can provide information about your service line. A visual inspection by BWSC may be necessary to determine the composition of the service line. 更多信息请联系BWSC领导热线617-989-7888.
If the service line is made of lead you are encouraged to utilize BWSC's 引领 Replacement Incentive Program to have it replaced and protect the health of the building occupants.
清除管道材料上的松散焊料和碎屑
Remove loose solder and debris from the plumbing materials installed in newly constructed homes or homes in which the plumbing has recently been replaced. To do this, remove the faucet strainers from all taps and run the water from 3 – 5 minutes. 之后, periodically remove the strainers and flush out any debris that has accumulated over time.
识别并更换铅焊料
在美国，禁止使用铅焊料连接铜管.S. in 1986. If your copper pipes are joined with lead solder, have a plumber replace it with lead-free solder. 铅焊料看起来暗灰色，当用钥匙划伤看起来有光泽.
让电工检查你的电线
If grounding wires from the electrical system are attached to your pipes, corrosion may be greater. Check with a licensed electrician or your local electrical code to determine if your wiring can be grounded elsewhere. DO NOT attempt to change the wiring yourself because improper grounding can cause electrical shock and fire hazards.
购买或租赁家庭治疗设备或过滤器
首页 treatment devices are limited in that each unit treats only the water that flows from the faucet to which it is connected, 所有的设备都需要定期维护和更换. Devices such as reverse osmosis systems or distillers can effectively remove lead from your drinking water. 一些活性炭过滤器, 比如在过滤水罐中发现的那些, 可以降低他们处理的水中的铅含量. 然而，所有减少铅的声明都应该被调查. Be sure to check the actual performance of a specific treatment device before and after installing the unit. 一个很好的资源是国家卫生基金会: 1-877-867-3435 or www.nsf.org.
购买瓶装水饮用和烹饪
如果水龙头里的水在冲洗后含铅量升高, 瓶装水也是一种选择, 但它的成本可能高达1美元,比水龙头里的水多1000倍.