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Lead levels prompt bubbler shut-off, but the bigger concern is closer to home

By Matt Neal Posted July 06, 2018 06:46:27 Brass fittings and taps found to cause slightly elevated levels of lead in drinking water continue to be sold and installed in homes, businesses and schools across Australia. Public drinking fountains were turned off in the cities of Geelong and Warrnambool after Victorian health officials detected higher-than-average amounts of lead in the water in May. The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) chief health officer, Charles Guest, said that "drinking water fountains are not the main source of daily drinking water" and that high-use fittings found in homes could be of even greater concern. Master Plumbers Australia chief executive, Peter Daly, said that if people have concerns about the taps and fittings in their homes, they should discuss it with a licensed plumber. "Lead is a long-term toxin and people should listen to the advice provided by the health authorities," Mr Daly said, but added that it was "important that people don't overreact". "The industry is currently looking at how we can substitute lead-free pipes and fittings. "Master Plumbers has a concern about cheap imported taps and our advice to consumers is quite simple if you're installing taps at home, make sure they're watermarked and they're installed by a licenced plumber." Something in the water The issue lies with brass tap fittings which can slowly leach trace amounts of lead into drinking water. In 2016, three researchers from Sydney's Macquarie University conducted a study which tested drinking water in New South Wales homes. Their findings included the discovery that eight per cent of the homes tested had levels of lead above the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG). By comparing the quality of water as it entered the home with the water that exited the internal taps, the researchers believed they found the culprit of the slightly increased lead levels. "Analysis of household plumbing fittings (taps and connecting pipework) show that these are a significant source of drinking water lead contamination," the study stated. It also referred to numerous previous studies dating back to 1988 highlighting "brass taps and fittings have, for many years, been a known source of drinking water contamination". "Despite this knowledge, plumbing components containing large concentrations of lead continue to remain available to consumers," it said. According to the Victorian Government's Better Health website, "lead exposure can permanently damage the brain and impair intellectual development" and is particularly detrimental to young children. The ABC understands that in the wake of drinking fountains being shut down in Geelong and Warrnambool, water authorities were briefed by the DHHS about concerns around plumbing fittings leaching lead into drinking water. The DHHS refused to comment on the details of that briefing, saying its contents were not for publication. It also said it would not comment beyond Professor Guest's statement, nor would the Victorian Building Authority, saying it was still investigating the Geelong matter.

Photo: A water fountain in Geelong that was closed due to elevated lead levels. (ABC News: Cameron Best) In the wake of the Geelong discovery, the DHHS issued a statement from Professor Guest, stating: While the levels of lead detected are above the health guideline value in the ADWG, they are not of immediate concern, as drinking water fountains are not the main source of daily drinking water. Current evidence indicates that the issue may be related to plumbing materials associated with the drinking fountains. People do not need to be worried if they have consumed water from the affected drinking fountains. The impacts of plumbing materials in contact with drinking water is an emerging issue worldwide. Once the results of the Geelong investigation are available, the relevant state government departments and agencies may be required to coordinate a state-wide response. It's too early to start a broader investigation at this time as the source of the lead is still being investigated. Hospital fittings delay opening The new Perth Children's Hospital had its opening delayed by three years, partly because of elevated lead levels in its drinking water, which was found to be caused by brass fittings in the building.

Photo: The Perth Children's Hospital report into lead contamination found brass fittings were the likely cause. (ABC News: Darren Dunstan) In a report by the Western Australia chief health officer, Tarun Weeramanthri, the fittings were found to have corroded, leaching lead into the water system. A Building Commission report in April 2017 also found state-managed pipes which circle the whole medical precinct, as well as the brass fittings in the worksite itself, were a cause of the contamination. In Queensland, the state's Building and Construction Commission confirmed it "continually monitors plumbing products which may pose a health or safety issue". "Plumbing products which are found to contain lead, particularly those connected to drinking supplies, present a serious concern," a spokesperson said, before referring the ABC to the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB).

Photo: Brass fittings in 1,200 locations at Perth Children's Hospital should be replaced, the report recommends. (Supplied: Chief Health Officer) In response, the ABCB chief executive, Neil Savery, said the board "has commissioned a research project through Macquarie University NSW to enable it to make an informed decision about possible changes to the Plumbing Code of Australia". It said the project would "determine to what extent plumbing products and materials may contribute to lead levels in drinking water in excess of those permitted by the ADWG". "The research that has been commissioned by the ABCB is focused specifically on brass fittings in the context of Australian plumbing systems to determine if any further changes are necessary," Mr Savery said. Elizabeth O'Brien, vice president of not-for-profit organisation The Lead Group, said the sale and installation of fittings and taps made of brass is largely unregulated. The group had advocated in the past for the removal of lead from petrol and paint in its battle against lead poisoning and pollution. "Now it is clear that all this time we should have been looking at the plumbing standards and the sale of lead in brass in fittings," Ms O'Brien said. "Unfortunately, the way water works in Australia is that the water authorities are responsible for [water] up to the house, [but] the homeowner then becomes responsible," she said. "There's no regulation that says that you can't sell a product that's going to add lead to the water. "All it says is that you shouldn't sell a product that doesn't comply with the standards, and when you look at the standards there is some grave problems that occur in testing." Ms O'Brien also questioned the extent of product testing and whether it reflected "real-life situations". Mr Daly confirmed "there's nothing to stop non-watermarked products being on the market" such as "bubbler taps that we find in schools and in parks that have the potential to carry lead in water because they're not part of that [watermarking] scheme". The Municipal Association of Victoria, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and the office of Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, which deemed this a state issue, declined to comment on the matter. Topics:health,medical-sciences,lead,water,electricity-energy-and-utilities,maternal-and-child-health,health-administration,federal---state-issues,federal-government,environmental-health,infant-health,safety,water-pollution,water-supply,local-government,geelong-3220,warrnambool-3280,perth-6000,macquarie-university-2109,sydney-2000,melbourne-3000 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-06/lead-leached-by-brass-shuts-fountains-but-what-about-homes/9886518

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