When people buy an older home, they may want to have some upgrades to the Plumbing in Cranberry Township PA. There may be lead somewhere in the system of pipes and fixtures bringing water into the home, since lead was not entirely banned from plumbing pipes and faucets until the 1980s. The possibility that lead could be leaching into the drinking water supply should be troubling.
A Brief History
Lead was used for plumbing since the systems were first invented in ancient times. In fact, plumbum is the Latin word for lead. The material’s stability and pliability made it valuable for workers building the water supply and drainage systems. Unfortunately, lead can begin to contaminate the water. Incidents of lead poisoning from contaminated drinking water had been reported in the United States beginning in the late 1800s, but the country was slow to act on this hazardous situation.
Lead Poisoning
Lead poisoning through the water supply tends to come on very gradually, with symptoms that household residents didn’t realize were associated with the plumbing. That’s one reason lead continued to be used in plumbing in Cranberry Township PA and throughout the rest of the nation. The problem of lead paint was another issue that was not fully addressed until the late 1970s.
It’s not only private plumbing systems that can contain lead. This has been highlighted by the problems in Flint, Michigan, when the municipal supply was contaminated by lead. This was justifiably considered a catastrophe for the city and its residents.
Testing and Monitoring vs. Replacement
Residents of the Cranberry area can have their water tested and they can monitor it as well if they are not ready to have the plumbing updated. Another option is to be proactive and hire a contractor such as to replace the old system. That helps everyone avoid the hassle of repeated testing and the worry that something may be going wrong in between. This is a good time to consider different faucet styles, too, since old ones may contain lead. The updates to the home then don’t all have to be hidden. You can also connect them on Facebook.
