How and when to test for lead in Denver water

Andrew Kenney

Jun. 02, 2016, 12:14 p.m.

A dripping Denver faucet. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denver Water says that its own pipes and the city’s water sources are free of lead. However, contamination still can sneak in from the pipes that connect buildings to the water mains.

The government doesn’t own those lines, didn’t build them and doesn’t know definitively which ones contain lead, but it’s constantly testing the water supply in search of them.

If you suspect lead contamination in your own single-family home in Denver or the suburbs, you can request a test, free of charge.

When to test

Your home was built before or during the 1950s
Your home was built between 1982 and 1988 and has copper piping

If you’re not sure when your home was built, search for your address on Zillow. If you live in an apartment, you may have better luck with this government website.

You also can check your neighborhood’s general lead risk on Vox’s searchable map.

What’s the danger?

Lead in drinking water typically won’t cause problems for healthy adults, but it poses a more pronounced risk to children, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The contaminant can cause cognitive dysfunction, affecting abstract thought, planning, learning and memory, according to Popular Science. Its effects differ significantly between people.

An emergency alert was sent out by the City of Englewood to people across the Denver metro on Aug. 4, indicating that E. Coli was detected in drinking water "in your area." It was very scary.

The City of Englewood says E.coli has been detected in a sample of its drinking water

Lots of people in the Denver metro area received the alert, whether they live in Englewood or not.

Xcel Energy crews are working overtime to replace tons of gas lines in Elyria Swansea. July 31, 2021.

About 30 Elyria Swansea residents are still without gas

But Xcel Energy says once they access these homes, service will be restored.

Downtown Denver Partnership President and CEO Tami Door announces new safety measures for the Ballpark area downtown in cooperation with the Denver Police Department, Jan. 30, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Tami Door will leave the Downtown Denver Partnership in November

The president of the influential business organization says she doesn't know exactly what's next.

Denver City Council begins on Aug. 5, 2019. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Extreme civic engagement: One Denver couple has attended every single City Council meeting since last year

Zoom advocacy has been a game-changer.

Khyra Parker raises her fist during nine minutes of silence during the sixth day of protests in reaction to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. June 2, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Another protest-pushed local policing change has to get through city council — and the mayor — before it would go to voters

The idea would be to separate the police-and-jails watchdog from the mayor's office. Mayor Hancock doesn't hate it this time around.

A raft full of divers from the Denver Fire Department scans Duck Lake at City Park on Aug. 3, 2021. Authorities say they were searching for a person who witnesses said rode a bike into the water and did not resurface.

Authorities have recovered a body at City Park lake after getting call of cyclist who went in and did not resurface

Denver Fire Department said a call came in around 4:15 p.m.

A rendering of the future, revamped National Western Center. (Source: Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center)

Denver City Council members decide to divvy up question on bond money for National Western Center projects

It's part of the $450 million bond package proposed by Mayor Michael Hancock's administration.

Meow Wolf Denver just announced its opening date, name, theme, and ticket sales

This September, Convergence Station will transport Denverites into new dimensions.

Near-surface smoke projections for the U.S. between 11 a.m. on Monday and 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Denver’s air quality got even worse since the last time we wrote this headline

Fine particles from wildfires are the main culprit.

Cathy Prieto poses for a photo outside her home on Lipan Street in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on Monday, August 2, 2021. (Esteban L. Hernandez/Denverite)

Denver recognizes the Chicano history of La Alma Lincoln Park as it becomes the city’s second-ever historic cultural district

The designation recognizes its connection to the Chicano Movement and the specific style of the homes there.

Images from a cell phone video posted by Twitter user bellers03.

The woman who hit a protester with her car in Denver last year has been sentenced

She was charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor, after a jury found her not guilty of assault.

COVID-19 vaccines at a city-run clinic inside the Barnum Recreation Center. March 10, 2021.

Denver’s requiring vaccinations for teachers, city employees and others

Fueled by the delta variant, coronavirus cases have more than tripled citywide over the last few weeks.

Xcel Energy says 700 homes in Elyria Swansea should have gas again by Monday

People have been eating meals at taco trucks sent by the energy provider because they can't cook.

Kevin Breidenbach and Luke Wierman post signs to tents as the Denver Democratic Socialists of America protest rent and evictions as the economy continues to struggle under the pandemic. July 1, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

The national eviction moratorium ends Saturday, but housing providers on East Colfax are protecting residents until the end of the year

A massive community collaboration will protect some 1,300 renters until December.

Colfax Avenue's old Aristocrat Motor Hotel is now the Volunteers of America Family Motel. July 29, 2021.

A West Colfax shelter for unhoused families wants to demolish a historically significant building to expand its reach

The planning department found that the property is eligible for preservation, in part because of its link to car culture and a classic motel sign.

A couple of humans and dogs crest the hill at Ruby Hill Park. June 23, 2020. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Things to do in Denver this weekend, July 30-Aug. 1

Festivals, a sober dance party and the last weekend for Beer Quest.

The Curious Theatre Company on Acoma Street near 11th Avenue, Feb. 2, 2017.

Curious Theatre will reopen this fall!

The gutsy Denver theatre company has announced its 2021-2022 lineup.

Cue Perez, owner of Babooshka hair salon on East Colfax Avenue, works on Diane D'Angelo's hair on a Saturday morning. July 24, 2021.

Cheap cuts, color and therapy can be found at Babooshka on East Colfax

Among the eclectic tchotchkes and Hindu statues, Diane D'Angelo said she found her forever salon, giving us the fourth business in the series.

Community actiivst Poncho Espino speaks during a meeting of the National Western Center Citizens Advisory Committee in a NWC conference room in Elyria Swansea. July 22, 2021.

Officials hope the promise of neighborhood equity projects will help fund its new stock show arena

Activists in Elyria Swansea are still upset about a proposed $450 million bond package, arguing money isn't going where residents need it. Members of City Council are leery, too.

A cryptic billboard above Brighton Boulevard. July 29, 2021.

Things are happening at Meow Wolf Denver, and fans are working to decode the installation’s cryptic marketing

A sign, some shrimp, and a date to remember.

More Denverite

A dripping Denver faucet. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

When to test

What’s the danger?