The Poisoned City

For any structure built before 1986, there’s a decent chance that lead pipes connect it to the water main. There is also probably lead solder and brass in the indoor plumbing. Newer structures aren’t immune, either. In the original law, lead-free pipes were defined as containing no more than 8 percent lead. It wasn’t until 2014 that Congress reset the limit to 0.25 percent for pipes and plumbing fixtures, and slightly less for solder. 65 Many anti-lead advocates insist that it should be zero.