Understanding Your Water Service Line and Protecting Your Home
The quality of your home’s water starts with your water service line – the pipe that connects your property to the main water supply. Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required water utilities to review and inventory service line materials as part of efforts to ensure safe drinking water. For some properties in Texas, the materials remain unknown, and there’s a possibility they could include lead or galvanized pipes previously connected to lead.
Lead exposure in drinking water is a serious concern, particularly for children, pregnant women, and individuals with existing health conditions. Lead can negatively impact IQ, attention span, and behavior in children, and increase risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney problems in adults. While water providers regulate water chemistry to reduce risks, homes with lead or galvanized service lines face a higher likelihood of exposure.
Steps You Can Take to Ensure Safety
Protecting your home starts with identifying the material of your service line. Texas Water Company provides tools to help you complete a Self-Identification form or schedule an inspection. The EPA’s Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead offers an easy guide for identifying lead pipes in your home.
While the material of your service line is being determined, there are proactive steps you can take to reduce lead exposure:
- Flush Your Pipes: Run your tap or use appliances like your dishwasher to flush water that’s been sitting in the pipes.
- Use Cold Water: Only use cold water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula, as lead dissolves more easily in hot water.
- Install Certified Filters: Use filters certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to reduce lead.
- Clean Faucet Aerators: Regularly clean aerators to remove sediment and debris that may contain lead particles.
These simple steps can make a significant difference in improving your water safety.
Enhance Water Quality with Jason’s Water
While addressing potential lead exposure is critical, upgrading your overall water quality adds an extra layer of protection for your household. At Jason’s Water Systems, we offer various water softener systems, including our whole-house softening and filtration systems, that reduce contaminants, enhance water taste, and protect plumbing from damage caused by hard water buildup.
Our solutions go beyond lead concerns by delivering clean, safe, and soft water for every tap in your home. Whether you want to improve the lifespan of your appliances, prevent pipe corrosion, or simply enjoy better water, Jason’s Water Systems is here to help.
Take Action Today
Don’t wait to ensure the safety of your water supply. Start by identifying your service line material with tools provided by Texas Water Company and implement steps to reduce potential risks. For the ultimate water quality solution, contact Jason’s Water today to learn more about our water softening and filtration systems and schedule a free consultation.
Protect your family, safeguard your plumbing, and enjoy cleaner, safer water with Jason’s Water Systems.