Lead is a naturally occurring, silvery metal that originates in the Earth’s crust. It can be found in all parts of our environment, from the air to the soil, and even in our homes. Even though humans have used lead for thousands of years, scientists have only realized the hazards posed by lead fairly recently, which has led to the element being banned in many household products, such as paint, gasoline, and plumbing. If you’d like to learn more about lead, The Environmental Protection Agency has a dedicated webpage that includes more information.

There is no lead in the water when it leaves the water treatment plants and enters the distribution system. Lead can be introduced into the water if that water flows through pipes that are made of lead or pipes that were soldered together with lead. Currently, the City does not own any lead pipes, but that does not account for the pipes that enter a customer’s home or building. As water travels through the distribution system and into a home or building, it travels through a pipe known as a service line. These service lines run from the water main into the water meter box, and then from the water meter box into the home or building. The City owns the service lines that run into the water meter box, but the City does not own and is not responsible for the service lines that run from the water meter box into the building. If those service lines contain lead, they can introduce lead into that building’s water supply.

Lead pipes were banned in 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to prohibit the use of pipes, solder, or flux that were not “lead free”. At the time, “lead free” meant that a pipe was no more than 8% lead, and solder and flux was no more than 0.2% lead. In 2011, Congress passed the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, which lowered the level of lead allowed in pipes to 0.25%. If you’d like to learn more about lead-related legislation, The Environmental Protection Agency has a dedicated webpage that includes more information.

Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney or nervous system problems.

The Palm Bay Utilities Department has ensured that no piece of infrastructure in the water treatment plants or the water distribution system contains any amount of lead or lead solder. Additionally, the City offers free testing of the water from the taps of homes and buildings throughout Palm Bay every three years, with the last cycle having been done in September of 2023. If any of those samples show results greater than 15 micrograms per liter, the customer is notified and provided with instructions on what can be done to limit lead exposure as required by the FDEP. Furthermore, we are working diligently to create an inventory of the lead service lines, galvanized iron services lines that may have been downstream of a lead service line, and service lines of unknown material that are connected to our distribution system. This inventory will be displayed on this webpage as a map of the city. If any services lines are identified that require replacement, the property owner will be notified immediately.

If you know of any lead or lead-solder-containing plumbing in your home or building, the best thing you can do is have it replaced immediately. You can also take the following actions to reduce your potential exposure to lead in drinking water:

• Run your water to flush out lead. Lead levels increase over time as water sits in plumbing materials that contain lead. Regular water usage (e.g., laundry, bathing) can reduce lead levels in drinking water.
• Use only fresh, cold water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula. Run the water for at least one (1) minute or until it turns cold.
• Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water does not remove lead.
• Obtain a water treatment device that is certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to remove lead. These devices are an effective way to reduce lead exposure.
• Identify and replace plumbing fixtures that contain lead and any copper piping with lead solder. You can use this survey to get started identifying the materials that make up your service line.
• Clean your aerator. Regularly clean your faucet’s screen, or aerator, as sediment, debris, and lead particles can collect in your aerator and introduce lead into your water
• Have your child’s blood tested for lead. Children are a higher risk group of the health effects of lead. If you would like to have your child tested, you may contact your health care provider or local health department.
• Have your water tested for lead. The City of Palm Bay must sample water from the tap of a home or building if requested by the owner. If you'd like to have your water tested for lead, feel free to contact Utilities Customer Service at (321) 952-3420 or via email at ucs@palmbayflorida.org.

For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home or building and the health effects of lead, visit the EPA's website or contact your health care provider.

To access the map, click the image at the top of the page. This will open the map in a new tab on your web browser. Once you’ve opened the map, you can search for your address using the search bar in the top left corner of your screen. Click on your parcel to see if the material of your service has been verified, and what material it has been verified as. The dashed red line shows the boundaries of the City of Palm Bay, and parcels outlined in green have been verified, while parcels outlined in pink have not.

If you’d rather see the service line data as a table, you can click here to view the service line inventory.

The water produced by the water treatment plants is tested multiple times per day at multiple different points throughout the water treatment process. Along with that, the water is routinely tested at the 120 different sample points located throughout the city to ensure that it is safe to drink. Finally, the city releases an annual water quality report that details the testing that was performed on the water distribution system in the previous calendar year. The 2024 Annual Water Quality Report can be found here, and reports dating back to 2014 can be requested by contacting Utilities Customer Service at (321) 952-3420 or via email at ucs@palmbayflorida.org.