Providing safe water is Lincoln Water System’s number one priority and a responsibility we share with you.
The drinking water Lincoln Water System delivers to your home or business meets all federal and state water quality standards and requirements. However, the quality of the water can change once it leaves our pipes and enters your plumbing. Due to the unique plumbing system at your property, various water quality issues may arise.
Some of these possible changes in water quality you can see, smell, or taste. For example, old pipes can cause rusty water. Or, the water may develop an unpleasant taste and odor after sitting in your pipes overnight. Use our Water Quality Troubleshooting Guide to help fix common issues you may notice.
Lead released from plumbing that contains lead is colorless and tasteless.
When water leaves the City’s water mains, it does not have a detectable amount of lead.
Lead can get into your water if your home has plumbing that contains lead. When water sits and stagnates in lead plumbing for several hours without being used, the lead may dissolve into the water. Lead can also get into the water when plumbing work or excessive water hammer causes lead-containing pipe scale to detach from inside a home’s galvanized pipes.
Learn More:
Lead Awareness
Also, in certain rare conditions, harmful bacteria can grow in your pipes or other water-using devices if they are not properly maintained.
The water we deliver to your home or business is disinfected to meet all federal and state standards for public health. However, once drinking water leaves the City’s system and enters a home or business, a new water environment exists.
Keep Water Devices Clean
Water devices that continually stay wet can grow harmful bacteria if not properly maintained.
Places where harmful bacteria can grow and spread include:
- Showerheads and faucets
- Water heaters
- Hot tubs and pools
- Decorative fountains
- Cooling towers
- Humidifiers
- Water filters
- Medical equipment (such as CPAP machines)
More information on maintaining water devices is available on the CDC website: Preventing Waterborne Germs at Home.
Keep Your Water Fresh
If water remains in a building’s plumbing for a long time, harmful bacteria can grow. If you live in a house, harmful bacteria growing in your plumbing is usually not a concern because the water is used frequently enough. Larger buildings with low water use or complex plumbing systems are at higher risk. It is a good idea to run water through all your plumbing at least once a week.
Residents and facility managers have an important role to maintain the quality of water after it leaves our pipes. We at Lincoln Water System care about your health and want to help you understand how to minimize your exposure to lead and harmful bacteria and how to keep the quality of your water at its best.