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Thread: Lead in water

  1. #1
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    Default Lead in water

    This article http://www.tasman.govt.nz/tasman/new...august-2012/#8 was in the Tasman District Council's newsletter:

    Flush Your Taps

    Research carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science and the Ministry of Health has shown that some New Zealand water supplies contain minute traces of lead that are near to or exceed the maximum acceptable level specified in the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards. Traces of metals – in particular lead – are of concern because over time they pose a potential health risk, especially if consumed from childhood.
    It is important to note that the lead is not coming from the water supplies themselves, but primarily from metals in some household fittings that may be dissolved into the water. The amount of lead that will dissolve from a fitting depends on how plumbosolvent* the water is; the temperature of the water; the composition of the plumbing fittings and how long the water has been in contact with it.
    The fact that most New Zealand waters are of very good quality and contain little dissolved substances such as calcium and magnesium salts contributes to their plumbosolvency, which is widespread in New Zealand. The Ministry of Health therefore recommends that people do not drink the first mugful of water if their tap has not been used for several hours overnight, for instance.
    Instead, people should run the tap for a second or so, which will quickly flush-away any water that has become contaminated with lead or any other metals from the plumbing fittings. The Ministry of Health works closely with Standards New Zealand and the plumbing industry to develop quality standards for plumbing fittings.
    Additional details on this issue can be sourced from the Ministry of Health website – www.moh.govt.nz.
    * plumbsolvent = The types of water that have the ability to dissolve lead (usually soft waters) are known as ‘plumbsolvent’ because of their ability to dissolve lead (from the Latin word plumbum).

  2. #2
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    I seem to recall reading a similar article in the UK some years ago. I've run the taps for a few seconds first thing in the morning ever since.

  3. #3
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    Don't the council advise you on this, only the paper?!

    Our council frequently advisescon the water quality and precautions if necessary.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by ralf-nz View Post
    Don't the council advise you on this, only the paper?!

    Our council frequently advisescon the water quality and precautions if necessary.
    This is the Tasman newsline. How do your council advise you? Do they knock on your door or call you up? I thought people might not know this fact about the chemistry of NZ water which the article states is widespread in NZ.

  5. #5
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    They published it in a magazine that was dropped off in our letter boxes; so also people without internet got this info.

  6. #6
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    No problem with lead today just this http://www.waimakariri.govt.nz/servi...d-notices.aspx been bad on the other side of the river over 100 cases of illness.
    PS found out about it on facebook
    Last edited by benandclare; 24th August 2012 at 10:03 PM.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by ralf-nz View Post
    They published it in a magazine that was dropped off in our letter boxes; so also people without internet got this info.
    Yes. This is how I got this information as well. They also put the newsletter online. So, after I read the newsletter that came in my letter box, I came here and linked the online copy. A lot of newspapers have both hard and online copies. When my boy's rugby team was in the newspaper, I was able to link it to email for my family back in Cali. Isn't technology wonderful?

  8. #8
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