The AquaHacking Podcast

The Truth Behind Your Tap: Lead in Drinking Water

Episode Summary

Do you think your drinking water is lead free? Well, the truth might surprise you! David Ullrich, former Director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, joins us to explore the backstory behind how lead makes its way into drinking water, why this merits your attention, what you can do to find out if you are affected, and if so, what steps you can take to fix the problem.

Episode Notes

Additional information and resources:

State of Lead in Drinking Water in North America

United States

• US deaths from lead exposure 10 times higher than thought, study suggests
• Lead in American Water Systems

Canada

• Safe Water Series by Global News
• Is Canada's water safe?
• Is Montreal’s lead problem worse than Flint, Michigan’s?

Flint Crisis (Michigan, 2014)

• Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts

Addressing the problem

Government efforts

• Lead and Copper Rule (US)
• Corrosion control
  • Corrosive water is a key reason behind dangerously high levels of lead. There’s a way to fix it
  • Worried about lead in Windsor's drinking water? Enwin says it's not coming from their water supply
• Community and utility efforts to replace lead service lines  

What you can do as an individual

• Environmental Protection Agency Lab that will test your water (US)
• Environmental Working Group Tap Water Database (US)
• American Water Works Association 
• Worried about lead in your drinking water? Here are some steps you can take... (Canada)