Lead and Your Drinking Water - SFPUC Programs
Quick Summary
Lead is a kind of metal. People can get sick if they eat or drink something with lead in it. Unfortunately, in the past they used lead in water pipes because lead is flexible and doesn't rust. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission doesn't use lead in the water pipes that deliver water around the city. In the 1980s we removed any lead from our pipes that connect to the water meter. The plumbing in homes, schools, stores and offices is privately owned. Privately owned plumbing sometimes has lead in the pipes or joints. This page provides more information about programs we have to help people learn about avoiding lead in their water.
What is the Source of Lead in Drinking Water?
Lead in drinking water differs from home to home because it primarily comes from corrosion of faucets, other plumbing fixtures and lead solder in the home plumbing. It may also be present in service pipelines that bring water from the distribution pipeline to the home.
There is no lead in San Francisco’s distribution lines, and all lead service lines from the distribution system were removed in the 1980s; since then, whenever a previously unidentified lead service line is found, it is quickly removed.
What Are the Risks?
When consumed, lead is toxic to the human body. Young children are most susceptible to lead because their bodies absorb lead more readily than adults and are more sensitive to the damaging health effects of lead. Elevated levels of lead can also cause serious health problems to pregnant women and infants.
Our Corrosion Control and Monitoring Program
Our corrosion control treatment consists of maintaining alkaline water pH (above neutral) throughout our distribution system by adding lime and/or sodium hydroxide to the water. This practice is typical for water systems serving low- mineral-content high-quality water from mountain supplies, such as our Hetch Hetchy supply. This corrosion control approach was approved by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in 2006 based on a corrosion control study conducted for us by an outside consultant. SWRCB is responsible for enforcing US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and State drinking water regulations.
How Can I Reduce Potential Lead Exposure From Drinking Water?
When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can flush your tap until it feels colder, for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, before using water for drinking or cooking. You can also use certified filters to further reduce any potential lead exposure from drinking water. If you are concerned about lead levels in your water, you may wish to have your water tested.
Can I Have My Water Tested?
If you are a San Francisco resident, you can order a lead test for $25.00 per tap by following the instructions on sfpuc.gov under “Order Lead Testing”, and submit a Lead Testing Application. Participants in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program can request one lead test for free by submitting a Lead Testing Application and completing a WIC voucher issued by a WIC office in San Francisco. For questions, call SFPUC Water Quality Division (WQD) at (650) 652-3100, Monday through Friday between 8 am and 5 pm.
The Lead Regulatory Requirements
The United States Environmental Protection Agency regulates lead in drinking water under the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), a federal drinking water standard effective in 1991, which was recently updated in 2024 under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). The LCRI specifies a monitoring regime that emphasizes more vulnerable residences and an Action Level of 10 μg/L (effective on November 1, 2027) for lead in drinking water as measured at customers’ taps. If lead concentrations during a LCR monitoring event exceed this limit in more than 10% of customer taps sampled, the water system must undertake a number of additional actions to control corrosion and inform the public about steps to take to reduce their exposure and protect their health. Additionally, lead service lines under control of the water system may need to be replaced if a lead concentration of more than 10% has been detected.
The LCRI Action Level refers to a concentration measured at the tap rather than in the municipal water supply system because lead in drinking water is derived principally from household plumbing.
If lead concentrations during a LCRI monitoring event exceed the Action Level in more than 10% of customer taps sampled, the water utility must undertake additional actions to control corrosion and inform the public about steps to take to reduce their exposure to lead in tap water and protect their health. Additionally, lead service lines under control of the water system may need to be replaced if they exist.
We have been sampling for lead at the required number of customer taps in compliance with the LCR every three years since the 1990s.
The latest monitoring was conducted in 2024 and revealed that our water is in full compliance with the LCR. These results are a testimony to our successful efforts in lead control over the last several decades. LCR monitoring data can be found at sfpuc.gov/lead.
Reducing Lead in Our System
In conjunction with monitoring and corrosion control efforts, we continuously work to further reduce lead exposures from drinking water to City residents.
1980s
Removal of approximately 7,000 lead service lines in the San Francisco water distribution system.
1983
“Leaded” water main joints in the distribution system are discontinued.
2000
Initiation of lead-free water meter replacement program, to replace all meters within 20 years.
2000s
Provided lead-free faucets to childcare centers and public schools in San Francisco at no cost.
2003
Began replacing curb stops with lead-free units as replacement was needed.
2020
Lead Service Line Replacement Program begins to remove lead components that may be connected to galvanized utility service lines
Public Outreach and Education
We have been proactively educating customers about potential lead exposure from drinking water, its health effects, and the reduction of that potential exposure since the 1980s. Also, in partnership with the San Francisco Department of Public Health Children’s Environmental Health Promotion Program, we provide water sampling and laboratory services to help investigate the lead sources for San Francisco children whose blood lead level meets the state’s criteria for warranting medical case management and environmental investigation services. We also offer free home testing for lead in water to families that qualify for the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program.
Legislative Action
As a result of the following laws, the plumbing components used in drinking water systems for human consumption in California have been “lead-free” since 2010. The plumbing components are considered “lead-free” if the weighted average lead content of the component’s wetted surface area is not more than 0.25%.
2010
California AB 1953 (Chan) “Lead Plumbing”
The SFPUC advocated with other local utilities to mandate only “lead-free” plumbing components be used in drinking water supplies. AB 1953 became State law and effective on January 1, 2010.
2014
HR 5289 (Eshoo/Miller) “Get the Lead Out” legislation
Supported its lead-free provisions, which were subsequently folded into S.3874, signed into law by the President on January 4, 2011. This federal lead-free requirement, similar to California AB 1953, became effective on January 1, 2014.
2017
Water system permit amendment and California AB 746
“Lead Testing of Drinking Water in California Schools”: Testing of lead in water at schools began in April 2017 and was completed for all San Francisco Unified School District K-12 campus locations and sites, as well as parochial schools. In addition, we test fixtures by request at private schools throughout the City.
2017
California SB 1398 and amendment SB 427 (Leyva)
“Public and Community Water Systems: Lead User Service Lines”: The SFPUC completed an inventory of known galvanized pipelines and unknown pipe materials. In 2023, field investigations were completed to identify lead components connected to galvanized pipelines and unknown pipe materials. As of January 2025, the removal of lead components and galvanized service lines are ongoing with 85% completed of the planned replacements.
2021
USEPA issued the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR)
The SFPUC completed an initial inventory of utility-owned and customer-owned water service lines’ materials in October 2024. No customer-owned lead service lines were identified.
2024
USEPA issued the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI)
The SFPUC is developing a baseline inventory and service line replacement plan due in 2027.
Consumer Resources: Regulation/health
United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 800-426-4791
United States Environmental Protection Agency: Lead Information
United States Environmental Protection Agency: Lead and Copper Rule
State Water Resources Control Board: Lead and Copper Rule
California Department of Public Health: Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch
San Francisco Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Lead information
National Science Foundation, Water Treatment Products Complying With NSF61-G for Lead
Search for NSF Certified Drinking Water Treatment Units or Filters
We’re Committed to Quality
Our highly trained chemists, technicians and inspectors consistently monitor the water we serve—throughout our system, every day of the year. For additional information and materials, please visit sfpuc.gov/waterquality.
For questions about YOUR water, please call 311. You can also visit sf311.org.