马萨诸塞州水资源管理局(MWRA)正在采取措施阻止铅进入自来水. MWRA对水进行处理，以减少铅从家庭管道进入自来水的可能性. 控制水腐蚀性的措施包括加入碳酸钠和二氧化碳来调节水的pH值和碱度. Despite these efforts, lead levels in some homes or buildings can be high. Since internal plumbing varies from home to home, 建议消费者继续采取预防措施，防止从饮用水中接触铅.
为了监测铅含量，MWRA和BWSC测试了波士顿市家庭的自来水. Under Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, homes that are likely to have high lead levels, usually older homes which may have lead service lines or lead solder, 是否只在水在管道中闲置放置至少6小时后才进行测试. EPA的规定要求90%的最坏情况样品的铅含量必须低于EPA的行动标准15 ppb。. Although most homes have very low levels of lead in their drinking water, some homes may have lead levels above the Action Level of 15 ppb.
There are steps you can take in your home to reduce your risk of exposure to lead. BWSC有一个计划，继续更换其系统中的铅服务连接. The Lead Replacement Incentive Program 是为了鼓励波士顿的房主更换他们房产中的私人铅水服务而创建的. 欲了解更多信息，请下载我们的免费私人铅替换奖励计划小册子.
To find out if you have a lead service line and how it can be replaced, please contact the Lead Hotline at 617-989-7888.
Ways to Reduce Lead Exposure
Flush Your System
冲洗自来水是一种简单而廉价的方法，你可以采取这种方法来保护家人的健康. 冲洗通常只用不到一到两加仑的水，每月花费不到50美分. To flush, 如果水龙头里的水超过6个小时没有使用，那么在饮用或烹饪之前，先让水龙头里的水流出来. The longer water resides in your home's plumbing, the more lead it may contain. 冲洗水龙头意味着打开冷水水龙头，直到水明显变冷, usually about 15 - 30 seconds. If your house has a lead service line to the water main, you may have to flush the water for a longer time, perhaps one minute, before drinking. 虽然冲厕所或淋浴会通过你家管道系统的一部分冲走水, 在饮用或烹饪之前，你仍然需要冲洗每个水龙头的水.
To conserve water, fill a couple of bottles for drinking water after flushing the tap, and whenever possible use the first flush water to wash dishes or water plants.
If you live in a high-rise building, letting the water flow before using it may not lessen your risk from lead. This is because high-rise plumbing systems have more, and sometimes larger pipes than smaller buildings. 向你的房东寻求帮助，找出铅的来源，并寻求降低铅水平的建议.
Use Only Cold Water for Cooking, Drinking and Preparing Baby Formula
不要用热水龙头的水做饭、喝水或准备婴儿配方奶粉. Hot water can dissolve more lead more quickly than cold water. If you need hot water, draw water from the cold tap and heat it on the stove. Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead.
Test Your Home for Lead
确定自来水中铅含量的唯一方法是由国家认证的实验室进行测试. The cost to test the water is usually between $15 and $50. 请浏览水务局的网站，查阅经环境保护署认证可检测饮用水铅含量的实验室名单.
Test Your Child for Lead
联系孩子的儿科医生或当地卫生部门，了解如何让孩子接受铅检测. 血铅水平是知道你的孩子是否接触铅的唯一方法. For more information contact the Department of Public Health at 617-532-9571.
Determine Whether Your Water Service is Made of Lead
确定连接你家或公寓的水管是否由铅制成. If the service line is made of lead have it replaced.
EPA指出，确定服务管道是否由铅制成的最佳方法是聘请有执照的水管工检查管道或与安装管道的管道承包商联系. 持牌水管工可以同时检查你家的管道是否含有铅焊料, lead pipes, or pipe fittings that contain lead. 你可以通过检查城市的建筑许可记录来确定安装原始管道的管道承包商.
BWSC保存分布系统中的物料记录，并可以提供有关您的服务线的信息. BWSC可能需要进行目视检查，以确定维修线的组成. Contact BWSC's Lead Hotline at 617-989-7888 for more information.
如果服务线是由铅制成的，我们鼓励您利用BWSC的铅替换激励计划来更换它，以保护建筑物居住者的健康.
Remove Loose Solder and Debris from Plumbing Materials
清除新建房屋或新近更换管道的房屋内安装的管道材料中的松散焊料和碎屑. 要做到这一点，从所有水龙头上取下水龙头过滤器，让水运行3 - 5分钟. Thereafter, 定期拆卸过滤器，冲洗掉任何积存的碎片.
Identify and Replace Lead Solder
The use of lead solder in the joining of copper pipes was banned in the U.S. in 1986. 如果你的铜管是用铅焊料连接的，让水管工用无铅焊料替换它. Lead solder looks dull gray, and when scratched with a key looks shiny.
Have an Electrician Check Your Wiring
如果电气系统的接地线连接到管道上，腐蚀可能会更严重. 向有执照的电工或当地的电气规范检查，以确定您的电线是否可以在其他地方接地. 不要试图自己更换线路，因为不正确的接地会导致触电和火灾危险.
Purchase or Lease a Home Treatment Device or Filter
家庭处理设备的局限性在于，每个单元只处理从它连接的水龙头流出的水, and all of the devices require periodic maintenance and replacement. 反渗透系统或蒸馏器等设备可以有效地去除饮用水中的铅. Some activated carbon filters, such as those found in filtering water pitchers, may reduce lead levels in the water they treat. However, all lead reduction claims should be investigated. 安装机组前后一定要检查具体处理装置的实际性能. A good resource is the National Sanitation Foundation: 1-877-867-3435 or www.nsf.org.
Purchase Bottled Water for Drinking and Cooking
If the water at the tap has elevated levels of lead after flushing, bottled water is an option, but it may cost as much as 1,000 times more than water from your faucet.