Lead Awareness

Why is lead important to health?

Lead can impact normal physical and mental development in babies and young children. It can also increase blood pressure in adults.

Exposure to lead can come from a variety of sources, like paint, gasoline and other consumer products. Lead can enter the system through air, food, water, dust and soil. Older homes and businesses are more likely to have lead in paint or plumbing materials.

Most of the lead found in homes comes from lead-based paint, but can also be found in water that travels through lead pipes or in the soil around homes and buildings.

The City of Waco is committed to protecting public health. A number of resources are available to help keep you and your family safe.

Housing & Community Development

Both inside and outside the home, deteriorated lead-based paint can mix with household dust. Children are most at risk because their brains are rapidly developing and they are most likely to touch and eat lead-based paint or soil.

Help is available for some homeowners who want to eliminate dangerous lead-based paint and plumbing materials from their homes.

More information about Home Rehabilitation Assistance

Water Utilities

Lead does not occur naturally in water. If lead is found in drinking water, it typically dissolves into water over time through corrosion of pipes, solder, fixtures and fittings.

The City of Waco has a proactive action plan in place to minimize this corrosion by making adjustments to optimize the water. By making these adjustments, we minimize the amount of pipe materials and other contaminants from plumbing.

More information about the Water Utilities Action Plan

Health

Preventing lead poisoning is especially important for young children. They are most sensitive to the harmful effects of lead. Primary prevention is the removal of hazards from the environment, but secondary prevention includes blood testing and follow-up care. This safety net is essential to children who may have already been exposed to lead. Contact your healthcare provider for more information about blood testing.