AWWA WQTC69500

Lead above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Action Level was detected in water of new buildings on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) campus. To protect public health while the problem was assessed and remediated, fountains were turned off, bottled water was provided to building residents and public education materials were distributed. The problem with high lead was successfully mitigated by: eliminating hyperchlorination, flushing debris from the lines and thoroughly cleaning aerators; and, implementing commissioning procedures for new endpoint devices to more rapidly passivate surfaces and remove labile lead deposits. More stringent leaching standards from NSF International (NSF) and use of unleaded (<0.3% lead content) devices might eliminate this issue in new construction over the long term, but until these new standards and materials come into common use, potable water in newly constructed buildings remains vulnerable to relatively high lead in water. Includes 13 references, tables, figures.