Facts About Lead in Our Drinking Water
- Our two water supplies—Big Butte Springs and the Rogue River—contain virtually no lead or copper. We regularly monitor the quality of the water supplies and test for potential contaminants. Supplemental testing is also conducted throughout our system and at the individual taps of customers whose private plumbing meets criteria for being at risk for elevated lead and copper levels. Our latest round of testing results can be found in our compliance-focused Consumer Confidence Report, or the very comprehensive Water Quality Analyses.
- There are no known lead service lines or connectors in the Medford Water-owned system that deliver water to your tap. We have comprehensively reviewed records and inspected pipes; find more about this investigation below.
- However, lead and copper can be released into the water from materials in your private home plumbing. Lead solder was often used in homes built or plumbed with copper pipes before 1986. Lead is also common in brass faucets and fixtures manufactured before 2014. If your household plumbing contains lead, it can dissolve into water before it comes out of your tap.
How Medford Water is Working to Keep You Safe
Medford Water has always met and exceeded all state and federal lead requirements thanks in part to our pristine primary water source, our comprehensive water quality program, and the following proactive programs:
As part of our mission to safeguard public health and preserve our community’s high-quality water all the way to the tap, as well as improve the longevity of our system, we have taken a multi-pronged approach to reducing the likelihood of leading and copper leaching from private home plumbing and customer owned water service lines. This included:
- A comprehensive, independent scientific study to identify water treatment enhancements that work with our water and system.
- The study involved working with third-party experts and the latest Environmental Protection Agency guidance, and identified a scientifically rigorous and credible option to increase the resiliency of our system and protect customers who have plumbing in their homes that are made of or have metal components (such as copper, lead, and iron) by optimizing the pH of the water we deliver to your home to minimize corrosion in pipes and household plumbing.
- Design and construction of these new water treatment enhancements. These new facilities are part of our commitment to providing excellent water quality to our customers. Information on these water treatment enhancements is available here if you want to learn more!
More questions? See our FAQs below.
Our water system is a vast network of pipelines and facilities that help deliver water to your home. The smallest of these pipes are called service lines, which extend from the water main in your street to your meter, crossing both public and private property. You or your landlord owns the portion of service line that extends from the water meter to your home; Medford Water owns the portion that connects your water meter to the water main.
In 2016, Medford Water crews began proactively investigating service line materials for lead. No lead service lines were found as a part of this investigation; a small number of short lead connectors were found and removed. There are no known lead service lines or connectors in our system (see FAQs below for more information).
As part of its updated rules for lead and copper, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires water providers to inventory all utility-owned and customer owned water service lines, and in 2024, Medford Water completed our inventory by reviewing historical records, past standards, water service material selection, and present GIS data for utility owned service line type. A statistical method was then also utilized, which involved randomly selecting hundreds of services and conducting field work to determine pipe material. This statistical approach demonstrated with a 95% confidence level that there are no lead service lines both on the utility side and the customer side of the meter. All of this work followed guidance from the Oregon Health Authority; click here to see these results on their website (select the Service Lines tab).
To assist property owners, Medford Water has developed an online service line material inventory so that customers can determine their service line material type. This information is also accessible in our office during normal business hours. Medford Water will continue to update the inventory periodically as new water pipe material data is collected during routine maintenance and utility improvement projects.
Medford Water will also soon provide instructions for customers to self-report customer owned service line material type.
More questions? See our FAQs below.
Lead & Copper FAQs
How can I reduce my exposure to lead in my drinking water?
There are many steps you can take to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water, but if you have lead service lines (the privately-owned line that connects your home plumbing to the water meter), the best step you can take is to have them replaced.
In addition:
- Run your water to flush out lead. If water has not been used for several hours, such as in the morning or after returning from work or school, run your taps for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, or until it becomes colder, before cooking or drinking. This will flush water that has been sitting in pipes. (Conservation tip: If you run sprinklers, wash a load of laundry or shower first, you will not need to run the tap as long. Or, consider catching the flushed tap water for plants or some other household use such as cleaning.)
- Periodically remove and clean the faucet screen/aerator. Particles containing lead from solder or household plumbing can become trapped in your faucet aerator. Occasional cleaning will remove these particles and reduce your exposure to lead.
- Always use cold water for cooking and drinking. Lead dissolves more easily into hot water, so don’t use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula, or for cooking or drinking.
- Consider buying low-lead faucets.As of January 2014, all pipes, fittings and fixtures are required to contain less than 0.25% lead, which is termed “lead-free.” In addition to seeking out products with the lowest lead content, fixtures with the WaterSense label will maximize water savings.
- Consider investing in a filter. Before you buy, confirm the filter reduces lead – not all filters do. Remember that bacteria and other contaminants can collect in filters if not properly maintained, making water quality worse, not better. For water filter performance standards, contact NSF International at 1-800-673-8010.
- Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.
How does lead get into drinking water?
There is virtually no lead in our two water supply sources, the Big Butte Springs and the Rogue River. Rather, lead leaches into water over time through corrosion—a dissolving or wearing away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and pipes. Lead can leach into water from pipes, solder, fixtures, faucets and fittings. The amount of lead in your water depends on a variety of factors. These include the type and amounts of minerals in the water, the type of pipes the water comes in contact with, how long the water stays in the pipes, the water’s corrosivity, and water temperature. Lead water lines have not been found within our distribution system, which fully complies with state and federal rules regarding lead. However, short lead connector pipes were occasionally used within our system in the early 1900s. It has been our longstanding policy to remove these lead connectors as they are found.
What are the potential risks of lead exposure?
Lead can be harmful to humans when ingested or inhaled.
- Lead has been shown to cause delays in physical and mental development in babies and young children.
- Pregnant women are at particular risk for lead exposure.
- Children aged 6 and younger are very susceptible to the effects of lead.
- Long-term exposure to lead can affect blood pressure and kidney function.
What is the difference between a lead service line and a lead connector?
A lead service line is a line that is lead from the water main to the meter. A lead connector is a short piece of lead pipe used sometimes in the early 1900s, to connect the water main to utility owned service lines. These short connectors could be easily bent and allowed for a flexible connection between rigid pipes. It has been our policy to remove lead connectors whenever they are found in our system, though current and future EPA rules focus on lead service lines.
How can I be exposed to lead?
As the use of lead in various products has been phased out, our exposure to lead has greatly declined. Leaded gasoline, once a huge source of lead exposure, was phased out by 1995. Today, the Oregon Health Authority says the state’s most common source of lead exposure is from paint chips and dust in homes and buildings built before 1978; lead-based paints were banned for use in housing in 1978. Lead also can be found in some private household plumbing materials.
If the drinking water they consume comes from a system with lead service lines or with lead in the source water, or their home has lead pipes, the EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of human exposure to lead may come from lead in drinking water. Infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from drinking water.
Is the water in my home at risk for lead?
Lead levels in your drinking water are likely to be highest if:
- Your home has faucets or fittings of brass, which contains some lead.
- Your home was built before 1986 and has copper pipes with lead solder.
- Your home has a lead service line that connects your home’s internal plumbing to the water main in the street.
Is Medford’s water tested for lead?
Yes. Medford Water fully complies with all state and federal regulations for lead and copper testing. The EPA Lead and Copper Rule requires us to test for lead every three years at 30 homes built in the early 1980s. These homes were designated as being at-risk for lead in water because they were among the last homes constructed using lead solder to join copper pipes.
Under the Lead and Copper Rule, if 10 percent of water samples return lead levels of over 15 parts per billion, a water provider is required to take certain actions to reduce lead exposure. In 2022, the 90th percentile value in Medford was 1.1 ppb and no samples exceeded the action level. For the most current water quality results available with details on compliance with regulations, view our Consumer Confidence Report. For a more comprehensive list of results, see our Water Quality Analyses.
I’m concerned my home may have lead plumbing. How can I find out?
If your home was built before 1986, you may want to verify the type of piping that you have running from your water meter to and through your home. Testing is the only way to confirm if lead is present or absent. If you’re concerned that your home plumbing may contain lead pipes (lead is a dull gray metal that is soft enough to be easily scratched with a house key) or if you see signs of corrosion (frequent leaks, rust-colored water), you may want to have your water tested by a state-certified laboratory. Medford has one state- certified laboratory: Neilson Research Corporation, 245 S. Grape St.; 541-770-5678.