LEAD IN DRINKING WATER

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Drinking Water & Groundwater would like to thank the Groundwater Coordinating Council (GCC) Education Sub-Committee for their part in the development and editing of this publication. For more information on the GCC, it’s member organizations and programming, please visit www.wisconsin.gov. Choose “Government,” “State Agencies,” followed by “List of Agencies” then select “Groundwater Coordinating Council.” Lead is a toxic metal which has been used in the construction of most household plumbing systems in Wisconsin. Water within the plumbing system will continuously dissolve the lead it contacts. The rate can vary greatly with variations in natural water quality and the age of the plumbing system. Most water in Wisconsin is corrosive enough to dissolve some amount of lead. When the water stands for extended periods of time, such as overnight, lead concentrations in the water can increase greatly.