Understanding Essential Services: Lead in Water in Cook County

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe there is no safe level of lead exposure. Lead is harmful to health, especially for children. While paint, dust, and soil are the most common sources of lead, drinking water can contribute 40 to 60 percent of an infant's lead exposure.

The goal is to remove as much lead from your drinking water as possible.

Residents of Cook County concerned about lead in their drinking water have a number of options to help reduce the amount of lead in their drinking water.

• Have your water tested. Many public water systems will test drinking water for residents upon request. Call your local department of buildings for information. You can also check the State of Illinois' drinking water website   for a list of laboratories certified to analyze for lead.
• Be aware of any work that could disturb your lead service line, such as water main replacement, lead service line repair or replacement of part of the service line.
• Run water before use if it has not been used for several hours. The amount of time to run the water will depend on whether the home has a lead service line or not.
• Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula.
• Purchase a water filter that is certified to remove "total lead."
• On a regular basis clean and remove any debris from faucet aerators to clear out any particles of lead that may become trapped in the aerator.
• Purchase lead-free faucets and plumbing components.
• Remove the entire lead service line.

For more information from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, click here.