I’ve got lead in my Minneapolis home’s drinking water. Now what do I do?

The Minnesota Section of the American Water Works Association generously supports MinnPost's drinking water coverage . Like so many other Minneapolis residents, I learned my house has lead pipes when I received a letter last month informing me I was the (not-so-proud) owner of one of the roughly 37,000 lead service lines still in operation throughout the city. Not liking the way that sounds, I did what the city recommends: I ordered a lead test kit for my tap water. Minneapolis offers them for free to every resident, regardless of whether your house or apartment has a lead line. And lo and behold, my water has lead: 1.3 parts per billion, to be exact. While the Environmental Protection Agency’s “action level” — the amount of contaminant in water that triggers treatment requirements for public water systems — is 15 parts per billion, my water’s test results came back with the scary warning that “there is no level of lead without risk.” Long-term lead exposure can cause brain damage, cardiovascular issues, adverse pregnancy outcomes, decreased kidney function, anemia, learning problems and more. Related: How worried should Minneapolis residents be about lead pipes? So how do you interpret a test result that shows your water’s got lead? I asked three experts. Minneapolis treats its water with orthophosphate, a corrosion control that prevents lead pipes from flaking into drinking water. But it’s not a foolproof method. “The corrosion control is a reduction [method],” said Amelia Olsen, an extension educator at the University of Minnesota’s Water Resources Center. When water sits in the pipes without moving for many hours (like overnight), lead can build up in the water. That’s why the city asks that water collected for a lead test be taken in the morning when it has been stagnant for a longer period of time. Built up lead gets flushed out of the water as you use it throughout the day, which is why some experts recommend flushing your water first thing in the morning if you know you have lead pipes. “The most cost-effective [thing to do] is to just build flushing into your routine,” Olsen said. If you have a lead service line, running the tap for three to five minutes should flush the lead out. For internal plumbing fixtures with lead, running it for a minute or two should suffice. This is the routine Olsen adopted after she tested the water in her apartment and learned she has 1.6 parts per billion of lead. She now flushes her kitchen sink every morning. Showering first thing in the morning is another effective way to flush out any built up lead — and still use the water while you’re at it. And while the Environmental Protection Agency says there’s no safe level of lead, pregnant people and children are the most at risk. Knowing who’s most vulnerable in your household can help you determine next steps if you do find lead in your drinking water. Related: At Hastings event, residents vent frustrations over rising costs of PFAS water treatment Getting a water pitcher that’s certified to remove lead is a good option, although installing a reverse osmosis system is the most effective (but most costly). If you do implement a new treatment routine or system, ordering another free lead test from the city will help you understand if your new system works. There’s no official limit to how many tests one household can take, but George Kraynick, the city’s water quality manager, said they’ll probably start asking questions if one household starts ordering many repeat tests. Since the free lead test program began in November of 2021, they’ve shipped out 15,915 kits and have gotten 9,181 back, as of early November 2026. Out of the more than 9,000 tests they’ve completed, 74% were at a non-detect level, 25.5% had levels below 15 parts per billion, and just half a percent had lead levels above 15 parts per billion. The city works closely with households who get these high test results back to figure out where exactly it’s coming from. The department is also trying to build user confidence in the city’s drinking water through various education programs, including their Tap Water Ambassadors program that trains teens and young adults about the safety of tap water. They have primarily worked with marginalized and immigrant communities who can have higher distrust in the water that comes out of the tap and often rely solely on bottled water, a much more costly source of drinking water. Offering free lead tests is one way Minneapolis is trying to build confidence among water users. “Everybody’s perception and understanding of risk is personal,” said Annika Bankston, director of the Water Treatment and Distribution division of the Minneapolis Public Works department. “If you have any concerns, please get a customer-lead test kit. We want to test your water and help demonstrate to you that your water is safe to drink.” Claire Carlson is a Report for America corps member, covering drinking water for MinnPost and the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. Report for America places talented journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and regions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MinnPost (@minnpost) Related