City of Palm Bay Utilities Department Accepting Participants in 2020 Lead and Copper Testing

Utilities Department will offer 100 free tests through the Lead and Copper Testing Program

BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA –  The City of Palm Bay Utilities Department is accepting participants for the 2020 Lead and Copper Testing Program.

While PBUD service lines do not contain lead or copper, the plumbing materials used in some homes can slowly leach metals into water through corrosion. As part of the Department’s ongoing quality assurance and compliance measures, the PBUD is offering to test customers’ water for lead and copper at no expense.

The Utilities Department will offer 100 free tests through the Lead and Copper Testing Program. Customers interested in participating in the testing program are asked to contact the Utilities Outreach Coordinator via email at outreach@palmbayflorida.org or by calling (321) 952-3410 no later than Friday, August 7, 2020.

Participants registering by email should include “Lead & Copper” in the subject line, along with the customer name, address, and contact information in the body of the email.

On Tuesday, August 18, 2020, PBUD staff will provide a contactless delivery of a sample kit to participating addresses with simple instructions on how to properly gather the water sample. On the following morning Wednesday, August 19, 2020, personnel will return to pick up the sample and deliver it to the lab for processing. Additional testing information is available online.

All participants will receive notification of their lead and copper results as well as a small gift for participating! Results will be provided to participants at the same time of submission to the State, unless excessive lead and/or copper levels are found. In which case, immediate notification will be provided to those participants, usually within ten working days from reported results.

Every three years the PBUD is required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to gather samples from customers throughout its water distribution system to monitor and minimize lead and copper levels in the drinking water. Lead and copper are primarily introduced to drinking water through the corrosion of plumbing materials which contain lead and copper.

Prior to 1986 lead was a primary component in the solder used to join copper pipes. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers those homes, built between 1983-1986, to be the highest risk homes for exposure to lead through solder. Palm Bay Utilities service lines do not contain lead or copper.

According to The Water Research Foundation, lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is persistent and can bioaccumulate in the body over time.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults.

A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child. People who drink water containing copper in excess of 1.3 mg/L may experience short-term nausea, while long-term exposure can affect the liver and kidneys.

Lead is rarely found in source water and usually enters drinking water through corrosion of household plumbing. Lead at the tap can come from a variety of sources, including lead piping inside the home, lead-based solder, and brass components.

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