Aviano area tap water safe to drink Published Dec. 14, 2006 By Staff Sgt. Selina Hamblin 31st Aerospace Medicine Squadron Bioenvironmental engineering flight Aviano Air Base, Italy -- The 31st Aerospace Medicine Squadron's bioenviron-mental engineering flight tested Aviano's drinking water for lead in November. The annual drinking water test is required by the Italian Final Governing standards as part of the federal safe drinking water program. Forty-one samples were collected from all base areas, and results indicated that all areas are in full compliance with standards. Although the water is safe to drink, previous water sampling results for the base and surrounding areas indicated the potential still exists for old faucets and fixtures to leak small amounts of lead. Lead usually gets into the water after it leaves local treatment plants. Water can absorb lead from lead pipes or from household plumbing as well as brass fixtures. The longer the water stands idle in the pipes, the more lead it can absorb. The bioenvironmental engineering flight recommends not drinking or cooking with water that has been in plumbing for more than six hours. The flight recommends clearing the water out of pipes by letting cold water run for 30 to 60 seconds until the water gets colder. This allows the level of lead to reduce in most circumstances. Water cleared from faucets does not have to be wasted. It can be safely used for washing dishes or watering plants. Hot water is not recommended to rinse out lead from pipes. Hot water dissolves lead more quickly than cold water. People in need of hot water for cooking or drinking should take cold water and heat it. It is also very important not to use hot water for making baby formula. Some water treatment devices can reduce the amount of lead in drinking water such as reverse-osmosis and distillation units. A few types of water filters can also remove lead. If interested in using such devices, check product pamphlets to be sure the National Sanitation Foundation has certified it for lead removal. For more information, call the bioenvironmental engineering flight at Ext. 5532. Lead sources Lead is a common metal used in many consumer products. It can be found in lead-based paint, air, soil, household dust, food, some types of pottery, and water. If it is inhaled or swallowed, lead can build up in your body over time. Lead levels that won't hurt an adult can be very harmful to children. Smaller bodies can absorb lead more rapidly. A child's mental and physical growth can be permanently harmed by too much lead. Drinking water is not our only source of lead exposure and it can be a problem for infants whose diets may be mostly liquids mixed with water, such as baby formulas or concentrated juices.