Lead in Medford’s Water: What to Know

Updated 4:54 PM Friday, February 19, 2016

The Source of Our Water

Medford residents, along with millions of others in the Greater Boston area, have access to clean water from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). The clean water is pumped all the way from the Quabbin Reservoir in the western part of the state through a network of pipes and smaller reservoirs. The water is treated and tested along the way to ensure it’s free from lead and other toxic substances.

“We’ve been blessed with huge reservoirs that are protected,” said MWRA Executive Director Frederick Laskey, a Medford resident.

Laskey said the MWRA buffers the water to control its acidity, which makes it less corrosive and less likely to cause lead to leach into it from pipes.

How Lead Gets into Our Water

A recent Boston Globe article pointed out the large number of lead service lines in several MWRA communities, including Medford, Malden, and Somerville. Communities with older homes often have lead service lines, the pipes that carry water into homes. According to Laskey, there is no lead in the water mains operated by the MWRA and the City of Medford. Homeowners are responsible for the replacement cost of the lead service line from the curb into their homes.

Despite the concern with lead service lines bringing water into homes, Laskey said Medford has passed lead tests the last three years without a problem. He said homes that are known to have lead pipes are intentionally tested and that 98% of all water tested is below the allowable threshold.

“The numbers from Medford are good; water quality tests are good,” said Laskey. “Overall as a system we do very well.”

Minimizing Exposure to Lead

Having a lead service line into a home doesn’t automatically mean the water isn’t safe. Laskey recommends running water after it has sat for a few hours in pipes until it’s cold, such as when waking up in the morning or returning home from work. He also said hot tap water should never be consumed.

Testing for Lead and Other Action Steps

The MWRA recently published a document about lead and the steps it takes to keep our water clean

The MWRA also has a webpage with facts about lead, including how to limit exposure and how to get water tested

– InsideMedford.com