AWWA JAW70395

Concerns over lead release from brass into drinking water have spurred development of nonleaded brass alloys. Water meters, components, and fittings manufactured from nonleaded alloys (most containing less than or equal to 0.1-0.25% lead) are increasingly being installed in water distribution systems and premise plumbing. This article reviews commercially available nonleaded-brass alloys, including their leaching behavior, performance, and costs. Laboratory and field tests have found that nonleaded brass components contribute much lower levels of lead to water than do leaded brasses under comparable conditions, and possess mechanical strength and machinability properties comparable to leaded brass components. Although concerns remain about possible failure from de- zincification and stress cracking, utilities switching to nonleaded components have not reported compromised performance. Individual nonleaded components, although more expensive than their leaded counterparts, actually result in overall replacement costs of only 2-5% when factoring in labor, equipment, and other expenses. Includes 42 references, tables, figures.