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• Any time the water has been sitting unused for six hours or longer, flush your cold-water pipes by running the water until it becomes a constant temperature. Saving the water for other purposes, such as plant watering, is a good conservation measure.
• Use only water from the cold-water tap for drinking, cooking and especially for making baby formula. Hot water may contain higher levels of lead.
• Some people choose to install a water filter in their home. If you choose to do so, follow these three important suggestions:
  • Choose one designed for the specific filtration desired, such as lead.
  • Make sure the filter is approved by the National Sanitation Foundation (www.nsf.org).
  • Maintain the filter as directed by the manufacturer.

East and West Water Systems 

• The water distributed in the East and West Systems is purchased from Fairfax Water and the City of Manassas. Both water suppliers add a phosphate-based corrosion inhibitor and adjust the pH of the water to help prevent lead from leaching into your drinking water from household plumbing. 

Bull Run Mountain/Evergreen 

• Corrosion control for this public well system is limited to using sodium hydroxide for pH adjustment. Once pH is adjusted, the water is no longer excessively corrosive, promoting pipe longevity while reducing the leaching of lead into the distribution system and home plumbing. 

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. For infants and children, exposure to high levels of lead in drinking water can result in delays in physical or mental development. Infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive a greater percentage because of the large volume of water they consume relative to their body size. For adults, exposure to high levels of lead can result in kidney problems or high blood pressure. Although the main sources of exposure to lead are ingesting paint chips and inhaling dust, the EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of human exposure to lead may come from drinking water.

Prince William Water's drinking water sources, including the Potomac River, Occoquan Reservoir, Lake Manassas, and the Bull Run/Evergreen Well System, do not contain any lead.

A source of lead in drinking water can be household plumbing. In 1986, lead was banned from use in pipes and solder for drinking water systems. In older homes, where lead is present in the service lines, plumbing fixtures and solder connections, it may leach into the water after the water sits for long periods of time.

The water Prince William Water purchases from Fairfax Water and the City of Manassas is treated with a corrosion inhibitor, which is added to help prevent lead from leaching from household plumbing into drinking water. 

Yes. The original Lead and Copper Rule required testing in Prince William Water’s distribution system as well as established action levels for both lead and copper when the rule was first published in 1991. 

All Prince William Water’s distribution systems have remained in compliance with the original Lead and Copper Rule since its inception. Additionally, Prince William Water partnered with Prince William County Schools and analyzed samples, for lead in school drinking water, under Virginia regulations that took effect in 2017. 

Prince William Water must conduct an inventory of all service lines on both Prince William Water’s side of the water meter and the property owner’s side of the meter. Prince William Water must submit the results to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) by October 16, 2024. The test results must classify all service lines in one of the following categories:

• Lead – where the service line is made of lead
• Non-Lead – where evidence indicates the service line is not made of lead
• Galvanized Requiring Replacement – where a galvanized service line is downstream of a current or former lead service line; or
• Lead Status Unknown – where there is no documentation or evidence to classify the material type 

The original Lead and Copper Rule set requirements for the frequency of lead and copper testing, volume requirements for water sampling, action and trigger levels for lead and copper, and necessary steps if those levels were met or exceeded.

The revised rule requires an inventory of all pipe materials from public water mains to privately owned structures, changes the volume of water required for a sample, enhances testing at schools and day care facilities, establishes public outreach requirements and defines lead service lines and replacement requirements. 

The revised rule is intended to minimize the risks of lead exposure in children and communities by better protecting children at schools and childcare facilities, safeguarding the nation’s drinking water and empowering communities through information. 

You should have your well tested once each year for total coliform, nitrates and pH levels.  If you suspect other contaminants, you should test for those as well.  You should also have your well tested if:
 

• There are known problems with well water in your area.
• You have experienced problems near your well (flooding, land disturbances, and nearby waste disposal sites).
• You replace or repair any part of your well system.
• You notice a change in water quality (taste, color, odor). 

Contact your loan officer, however, the buyer’s lending institution will most likely require that the well pass a water quality test prior to loan approval. Most lenders require testing for bacteria. Some may require nitrate testing.