Brass for drinking water?

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kotterr

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I bought this a few weeks ago:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZRSJ0C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

With that and various other brass fittings, I added to fittings under my sink in order to split the water supply two ways: one towards the faucet where it was going before, and the other way to a carbon refrigerator filter to use for drinking water. Before the system went operational, I saw a lead-related warning on the brass ball valve saying it is not approved for use in drinking water in California. I then read about a 2014 regulation not approving fittings containing more than 0.25% lead for drinking water purposes. Is this genuinely dangerous? Do I need to swap everything out?

This is for personal use, not commercial.

By the way, after the last component, there is a ERWF271 which lists lead as one of the items it filters.
 
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I would personally spend a few bucks and get a new ball valve with is designed for water use.
 
I would personally spend a few bucks and get a new ball valve with is designed for water use.

Unfortunately, all of the parts are like that, not just the ball valve. This is also an old house and even a recent installation by a plumber (but before 2014) used this:

http://www.matco-norca.com/product....ll-Valve-Full-Port-Forged-Brass/product_id/12

It looks like it has been discontinued and replaced by a 759 "lead-free" model, leading me to believe that the 758, which is at the meter (and thus impossible to bypass), is not lead-free, either, so what would be the point in replacing the other components?
 
I understand what you are saying, but at least you would have a lesser amount of potentially harmful lead in your water. Before deciding anything, I would get a professional to your house to test the lead in the water.
 
I understand what you are saying, but at least you would have a lesser amount of potentially harmful lead in your water. Before deciding anything, I would get a professional to your house to test the lead in the water.


[emoji106]🏻 lead free is a "newish" thing. No doubt it is better, I mean if you can delete a potential way of introducing a harmful substance to your drinking water, who wouldn't do it.

That being said, around here we have really clean water, filtered through rocks and mountains so there is a relatively low ppm of lead, while I do buy lead free parts, i think California gets a little touchy on stuff like this lmao.

But, it's just a couple bucks, go ahead and replace it if it worries you.
 
SPCwaters, I do agree with you on Kommiefornia being over the top. With this being said, I'm wondering how many PPM's are in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan?
 
SPCwaters, I do agree with you on Kommiefornia being over the top. With this being said, I'm wondering how many PPM's are in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan?


I can only imagine!

I did a short stint at the local water department in high school, before I left for the Army. I never operated the plant, but my grandfather did, here we test our treated water every hour at the plant. There's no way city treated water gets lead in it, without deliberate oversight.
 
A quicky test will give you an idea of lead content-

pACE3-14888882enh-z7.jpg


LF is compulsory in CA, CT and MD (if not more). I know when MD went, FERGUSON went all LF in their choices to comply and now living in WV, when I buy, their inventory is all LF as it made stocking simpler. I guess you could special order non-compliant if you wanted.

Anyways, excess lead can be filtered out.
 
In most cases its not the treated water at the facility, its the distribution piping. Older cities like in the Detroit area are still dealing with old lead services underground. I took my Journeyman's test in 94 and we were still wiping a lead joint. One of the kids i tested with worked for the city and said he wipes multiple joints daily for repairs.
 
Unless you live in California there should be no lead problem with the brass parts. lol. I would leave the valve and the other brass parts alone. I would use the type of brass you have in my own home for my family's water supply. Don't worry about it.
 
Unless you live in California there should be no lead problem with the brass parts. lol. I would leave the valve and the other brass parts alone. I would use the type of brass you have in my own home for my family's water supply. Don't worry about it.

And you will stand by that recommendation?

-Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act:

Legislative History-

In 1986 Congress Amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, prohibiting the use of pipes, solder or flux that were not “lead free” in public water systems or plumbing in facilities providing water for human consumption. At the time "lead free” was defined as solder and flux with no more than 0.2% lead and pipes with no more than 8%.

In 1996 Congress further amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, requiring plumbing fittings and fixtures (endpoint devices) to be in compliance with voluntary lead leaching standards. The amendments also prohibited the introduction into commerce of any pipe, pipe or plumbing fitting or fixture that is not lead free.

In 2011 Congress passed the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act (RLDWA) revising the definition of lead free by lowering the maximum lead content of the wetted surfaces of plumbing products (such as pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings and fixtures) from 8% to a weighted average of 0.25%, establishing a statutory method for the calculation of lead content and eliminating the requirement that lead free products be in compliance with voluntary standards established in accordance with SDWA 1417(e) for leaching of lead from new plumbing fittings and fixtures.
 
I would not recommend using brass fittings. Materials like brass, copper and bronze contains lead in them so that they would be easy for the machines to work on and produce. I generally use stainless steel fittings.
 
I would not recommend using brass fittings. Materials like brass, copper and bronze contains lead in them so that they would be easy for the machines to work on and produce. I generally use stainless steel fittings.

Where are you located, shawnsanchez?

The reason I ask, is that leaded brass (brass containing more than .000something percentage lead) has been prohibited by US federal regulation for more than 2 years now.
 
...leaded brass (brass containing more than .000something percentage lead) has been prohibited by US federal regulation for more than 2 years now.

Aren't LF brass components still available for use with non-potable water applications? LF is more expensive.

I remember when this came through in MD, FERGUSON limited it's inventory to strictly LF. The counter-person mentioned it was due mainly to inventory control ($$$).
 
I would personally spend a few bucks and get a new ball valve with is designed for water use.

As I read through the thread, I hadn't noticed that the issue of the valve being for use on gas lines and not potable water was properly addressed. Did I miss something?
 

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