Infants are the most at risk.
Households have officially been warned to run taps for 30 seconds before using water for drinking or cooking as concerns grow surrounding lead poisoning from pipes and fittings.
The alert was originally issued back in July by enHealth – a committee that represented all federal, state and territory health departments – but was not been publicised until now.
Lead, although rarely used in pipes in Australia, is heavily used in other plumbing products such as brass fittings. When water is continuously in contact with the fittings for long periods of time, the lead can dissolve into the water, leading to possible lead poisoning.
The contamination can be more significant in hot water.
Lead poisoning can cause a wide range of symptoms ranging from abdominal pains, nausea and vomiting, to seizures and comas in the most serious cases.
Infants are the most at risk, with enHealth declaring that “infants who drink formula prepared with lead-contaminated water might be at a higher risk because of the large volume of water they consume relative to their body size.”
Currently, Australia permits up to 4.5% lead content in brass fittings – 18 times more than the 0.25% allowed in the US and Canada.
enHealth has recommended that the “allowable level of lead in plumbing products in Australia be reduced to align with international standards”.
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Written by Kate Stevens
Images: Getty
