DIYbanter - View Single Post - Lead in 50 year-old plumbing solder?

On 14 Apr 2006 09:03:57 -0700, wrote:

My thought here is to just run enough water so that the pipe between
the faucet and the water supply entrance to the house is emptied out.
In my kitchen, I figure this to be about 2 quarts. At least the way
my house is plumbed, and I suspect others as well, I would think that
flushing the toilet would not help bring a fresh water supply to my
kitchen faucet.
Now, there is one other issue: As a plumber friend of mine once
suggested, in some places the old city supply lines expose the
water supply to your house to lead, in which case my perhaps
superstitious practice

I wouldn't call it superstitious. There is a valid basis for it.

And your disagreement doesn't seem well based either.

Even if the city pipes contain lead, the water in them is rushing by
because of the other people using water, even when we are sleeping.
Someone is up earlier than we are, or going to bed much later than we
do, and is showering or washing something.

of running out 2 qt. of water in the morning
wouldn't much matter :-}

It's only the water to our own house and in our own house that gets no
use at all when we are asleep. That's what sits there, in some cases
picking up lead.