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Drinking Water and Water Wells

Lead and Copper in Public Water Systems

What Is Lead?

Lead is a naturally occurring metal found in small amounts in the earth’s crust. It is uncommon in water sources such as ground water, lakes, rivers, or streams. Exposure to lead primarily comes from human activities as a result of lead being mined and processed for use in consumer products and construction materials.

In drinking water, exposure to lead can come from lead service lines, plumbing, faucets, or fixtures. Copper pipes installed before 1986 can also be a source of lead in homes, as solder or flux containing lead may have been used during the installation process. Lead can enter drinking water when lead-containing plumbing materials corrode. This corrosion is caused by chemical reactions between water and plumbing materials.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established action levels for lead and copper concentrations in drinking water. Currently, lead has an action level of 15 micrograms per liter (µg/L). This action level is not a health-based standard for establishing a safe level of lead in a home. Instead, the action level is a measure of the effectiveness of the corrosion control treatment used by a water system.

Health Effects

There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups, especially pregnant people, infants (both formula-fed and breastfed), and young children. Some of the health effects to infants and children include decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can also result in new or worsened learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy may be at increased risk of these harmful health effects. Adults have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems. Contact your health care provider for more information about your risks.

General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk from lead in drinking water are available from EPA’s website https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinkingwater.

Lead Monitoring

Public water systems are required to monitor for lead and copper under the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). Public water systems that remain under the lead and copper action levels are allowed to sample every three years. Public water systems that exceed either the lead or copper action level are increased to monitoring twice a year, along with requirements to address corrosion issues. The number of samples each public water system collects is based on population.

The Department is currently under a primacy extension agreement with the EPA for the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRR) enforcement, which took effect October 16, 2024. LCRR was updated with Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), which takes effect November 1, 2027. However, for LCRR, nearly all communities and non-transient, non-community public water systems (roughly 720 public water systems) were required to submit an initial Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) no later than October 16, 2024.

LCRI Highlights

LCRI will require public water systems to identify and replace lead pipes within their system. LCRI also requires more rigorous testing of drinking water to protect people from lead exposure in water. Below is a list of key requirements of LCRI with applicable due dates.

  • Submit a Baseline Inventory with lead connector information (November 1, 2027)
  • Submit a Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Plan (November 1, 2027)
  • Replace all lead and galvanized requiring replacement service lines (December 31, 2037)
    • Annual replacement rate of 10%
  • Lower the lead action level to 10 micrograms per liter
  • Improve requirements for communication and public education
  • Require testing in schools and licensed childcare facilities

Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act Grant

A portion of schools in the state of Nebraska have been sampled for lead as part of the WIIN grant program. This program is known as the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing & Reduction Grant Program. Additional information on this program is available on the following webpage: Lead in Drinking Water: Testing in School and Childcare Facilities | DWEE NE