CENTRAL BEACH FIRE DISTRICT

What this violation means

Lead is a potent neurotoxin with no safe exposure level. In drinking water it primarily enters via corroded lead service lines, lead-soldered copper pipes, and brass fixtures. Children under 6 and pregnant women face the highest risk because lead disrupts developing nervous and skeletal systems.

Recommended precautions

• →Run cold tap water 30–120 seconds before drinking or cooking, especially after the tap has been unused for hours.
• →Never cook with hot tap water — heat increases lead leaching from pipes.
• →Use an NSF/ANSI 53 certified filter for lead removal (carbon block or reverse osmosis).
• →If you have children, get blood lead levels tested by your pediatrician.

What this violation means

Nitrate contamination is most acute in agricultural regions where fertilizer and animal waste leach into groundwater. The immediate risk is to formula-fed infants under 6 months — high nitrate levels prevent their blood from carrying oxygen, causing 'blue baby syndrome.' Pregnant women should also avoid high-nitrate water.

Recommended precautions

• →Never give untreated high-nitrate water to infants — use bottled water for formula.
• →Boiling does NOT remove nitrate. Boiling concentrates it.
• →Reverse osmosis, ion exchange, or distillation are the only effective home treatments.
• →Private well owners in farming areas should test annually for nitrate.