Location:Netherlandds. Until last year I had a lead pipe between the street main feed and my water meter(copper pipe inside). When the pipe was replaced, there was 1.5 mm deposit inside the old pipe, and no possible access to the lead pipe. But of course we do not chlorinate our water supply, and the water is always moderately hard(and very tasty). So we can safely drink it without gagging, and without lead and chlorine poisoning.
I replaced some lead pipe in my parent's house some time ago - it is in a very soft water area. Out of curiosity I sectioned it and looked at it carefully. The original tooling marks - presumably where the pipe was formed by forcing through a die - was still clear and defined. In other words no signs of erosion in over 100 years.
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*Letting a cat out of the bag is easier than putting it back in *
Dave Plowman dave@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
As we'd probably expect, Dave ... ;-)
Arfa
before chlorination or fluoridation, lead from pipe was insignifant as the lead doesn't dissolve in pH neutral water. Probably get more from the brass in the hot water fittings and faucets.
However, if the pH is acidic, you have a serious problem. I just had to put in a $250k pH control system in a tiny (80 customers) water system I run to raise the pH to slightly alkaline (about 8).
Steve.
-- Steven D. Swift, novatech@eskimo.com, http://www.novatech-instr.com NOVATECH INSTRUMENTS, INC. P.O. Box 55997 206.301.8986, fax 206.363.4367 Seattle, Washington 98155 USA
It certainlty makes more sense than banning it in electronics. All electronics gets recycled nowadays. And we don't eat it.
When all lead in electronics is banned, we will have saved 0.14% of the world lead usage.
I live in europe. You will follow with leadfree electronics sooner or later. And then you will follow this too:
Since Januar 1st 2008 In Germany it is forbidden to drive older cars in certain cities. Diesels must be from 2001+, gasoline must also be reasonably new. In the Netherlands, Amsterdam is going to follow this too. And I am sure other countries will follow. And the area will expand from city-centres to whole cuties, then whole countries. Meaning that we all will have to drive very new cars.
The reason behind this is that newer cars follow the newest environment requirements.
About the plumbing: it is adviced over here that when you live in a house with old plumbing (whats in a name), it is best to let (in the morning) the water run for 10 seconds or more first so the piping contains new water. Very small amounts of lead may leak into the water, giving high levels of lead. Especially for children this is not good.
Pieter
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