Although New York City's water is virtually lead free at the source, many residents, especially in the outer boroughs, are concerned about lead pipes that may contaminate their drinking water. Fortunately, New York City has a solution; The Free Residential Lead Testing Program. Under the program, all residents in New York City can get a free lead-testing kit by calling 311. If a harmful level of lead is found, the city will replace all city-owned pipes distributing water to the building and educate residents how to bring their building's plumbing up to code.
Rest assured, NY's Department of Environmental Protection takes great care in ensuring the city's drinking water is safe. The DEP has 965 water sampling stations throughout all five boroughs. In addition, a corrosion inhibitor called Orthophosphate is added to New York's water supply to prevent lead from leaching into drinking water. Orthophospates have been approved by New York's EPA as well as an independent, non-profit organization called NSF International that researches the safety of tap water's additives.
If you are concerned about your tap water, run cold water for 30 seconds or until it feels noticeably cooler before drinking, and cook with cold water instead of hot water since lead is more likely to dissolve in warmer temperatures. To conserve water, wash dishes during the flushing process and fill up large jugs or pitchers with drinking water to avoid having to flush water each time you get a drink. For more information, check out the DEP's page on the topic.
Photo by Gamma Infinity Photography
The city will only replace service lines into buildings that are city owned, NOT residential homes. Lead based service lines or internal building pipes with copper/ lead solder is the responsibility of the homeowner or the landlord/ management company.