How does copper get into water

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Print this page Twitter Youtube LinkedIn. Home Copper in drinking water. Copper in drinking water Copper is a metal that exists in the environment as a mineral in rocks and soil. It is commonly found at low levels in natural water bodies. It is also an essential trace element that is required to maintain good health. How does copper get into drinking water? Low levels of copper can be found naturally in all water sources.

However drinking water that has been left standing in household copper pipes for long periods of time is usually the main cause of higher levels of copper.

What are the potential health effects of copper? The normal adult requires approximately two to three milligrams of copper per person per day. Hot water systems may contain more copper due to the heating process. Excessive copper corrosion can affect water quality and the safety of your drinking water. Copper is an essential trace element required to maintain good health and occurs naturally in all plants and animals. A normal adult requires approximately two to three milligrams of copper per day.

More than 90 per cent of your dietary copper is provided by food. Drinking water usually provides less than 10 per cent of your daily copper intake. Consumption of excessive levels of copper can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and headaches. Long term exposure to copper at high levels over many years can cause liver or kidney damage, and intentional ingestion of extremely high levels of copper can cause death.

Elevated concentrations of copper can give water a metallic taste. In addition, blue-green stains on plumbing fixtures and other surfaces the water contacts may be an indication of the corrosion or leaching of copper into the water. As mentioned earlier, high levels of copper also can cause adverse health effects that indicate a problem. Testing by an approved water-testing laboratory is required to determine the copper concentrations in water.

To determine the highest level of copper present in water, take a sample after the system has not been used for at least 6 hours. Be prepared to collect the sample in a lab-approved sample bottle as soon as you turn on the water. Do not allow the water to run from the faucet for any period of time before you collect the sample. Water drawn from the distribution system after an extended period of non-use will have the highest concentrations of copper present.

For a list of approved water-testing laboratories in your area, contact your local health department or county office of Texas Cooperative Extension TCE. If your water-test results indicate that copper is present in drinking water at concentrations above the MCL, first identify the source of the copper. Then, if possible, eliminate the source. However, because in many cases the source is a household plumbing system, its elimination may not be practical.

Therefore, you should take management steps to reduce exposure to elevated levels of copper. Management of copper coming from a home plumbing system sometimes can be achieved by flushing the copper from the system before using the water for drinking, cooking or other activities involving ingestion. Flushing the system requires—every time a particular faucet has not been used for 6 or more hours—allowing water to run from the faucet until the water seems as cool as it will get.

Water run during the flushing period can be collected and used for non-ingestion purposes, such as watering plants, cleaning, or washing clothes. Avoid using hot water for any cooking or drinking needs because hot water dissolves copper more readily than does cold water.