FAQs

Remember: Tyler Water Utilities carefully adjusts and monitors the water's chemistry at the plant before it is distributed to prevent corrosion and minimize the risk of lead entering the water. But the best way to eliminate lead from entering drinking water is to eliminate lead pipes and plumbing. 

Determine if you have lead service line or interior lead plumbing or solder. Property owners should check their portion of the service lines for lead. If your home or building was constructed before 1989 it is also important to determine if interior pipes contain lead. You can check yourself, hire a licensed plumber, or check with your landlord.

Run the cold water to flush out lead. If a faucet hasn't been used in more than six hours, let water run from the cold tap for 15 to 30 seconds before drinking or cooking with it. The longer water sits still in plumbing the more lead it may contain. Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive measure you can take to protect your health.

Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Lead can dissolve into hot water more easily. Avoid drinking, cooking, or preparing beverages like baby formula with hot tap water. If you know or suspect you have a lead service line, you should use filtered water for drinking and preparing baby formula. If you need hot water, draw water from the cold tap and then heat it. However, it is still safe to wash dishes and do laundry with hot tap water. Lead will not soak into dishware or most clothes.

Use alternative sources or treatment of water. If there are confirmed or suspected lead-containing materials in your home or building, you may consider using bottled water or a water filter. Be sure to maintain and replace filter devices as needed.

Remove and clean aerators/screens on plumbing fixtures. Over time, particles and sediment can collect in the aerator screen. Regularly remove and clean aerator screens located on faucets and remove any particles.

Get your child tested. Contact the Smith County Health District or your healthcare provider to find out how to get your child tested for lead. A doctor can perform a blood test and provide you with information about the health effects of lead.

Tyler Water Utilities meets or exceeds all State and Federal requirements for drinking water. It's routinely tested, hundreds of times a month at the Golden Road and Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plants and at dozens of points throughout the City by TWU staff and the Northeast Texas Public Health District. You can read a digital copy of the 2023 Water Quality Report. All chemicals Tyler Water Utilities utilizes are NSF/ANSI 60 certified for drinking water treatment.

TWU is in contact with all schools, daycares, hospitals and medical facilities to ensure they are informed and can assess their service lines.

The most common source of lead exposure is from paint. Lead-based paints were banned for use in housing in 1978. Lead can also be found in some household plumbing materials and some water service lines. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 10 to 20 percent of lead exposure may come from drinking water.

TWU and its treatment and distribution is strictly regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). We send thousands of samples to qualified and certified third-party labs for testing each month from locations across the City. This testing is performed by the Northeast Texas Public Health District (NET Health) and findings are reported to the TCEQ. All of this is public information available on our website. TWU consistently exceeded safety standards set by TCEQ and the EPA. If the City were not meeting these standards, there are mandatory safeguards in place to notify you. These include RAVE Alerts, Newsletters, Press Releases and social media posts across many platforms.

TWU adjusts the water's chemistry carefully and monitors it at the plant before it is distributed to prevent corrosion and minimize this risk. The best way to keep lead from entering drinking water is to eliminate lead pipes and plumbing.