This article is written by one of our excellent Interns, Benjamin Hornor!
What Makes Pipes Safe, and What Doesn’t?
Pipes; Who needs them?
Throughout every home in America, there is a complex network of tunnels that provide every American with essential water and waste disposal, often silently contributing to the overlooked simplicity of life. However, the importance of these pipes goes beyond flushing toilets. Drinking water transported by these pipes makes the difference between the healthy lifestyle of a developed country and countries without advanced infrastructure, the latter of which have collectively experienced approximately 505,000 deaths every year due to contaminated drinking water (1).
The importance of piping and plumbing has never been more important than now; major advancements in science and technology have led to a greater and grander understanding of what is in the food and water Americans consume. From the discovery of microorganisms by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek to the invention of the modern water filter by John Gibb; humanity as a whole has become progressively more concerned with what our water contains beyond its initial elements. Coincidentally, through this education, people have discovered that sometimes the toxicity in drinking water comes as a result of their pipes.
Pipes can be epicenters for all kinds of contamination; at any moment, a completely safe pipe could become the origin of your demise(2&3). It is only through extreme regulation and care from the US government, which has spent over 620 billion dollars on public water systems in the past 20 years alone(4), that the system of piping in cities across the US stays functional and safe for those who use it. However, the pipes in your home and property are not generally subject to scrutiny or review by the government, leaving the opportunity for lead poisoning, bacterial infection, or microplastics just from your own tap water. 
Taking Initiative, Know Your Pipes
Despite the possible side effects of the common household pipe, there are many different pros and cons associated with each household pipe configuration. Ultimately, it is most important to know what risks a household can face from its piping; from poisonous metals to potentially deadly bacteria, pipes are far from perfect.
Lead Pipes, an Old-Fashioned Threat
Lead piping has been a major concern over the past few decades, especially after the discovery of lead leaching that allowed for the toxic lead in the pipes to slowly break free and enter into drinking water. Thanks to work from the government and especially organizations like the EPA, many of these lead pipes have been replaced across the US; however, the EPA estimates that 9.2 million lead service lines (LSLs) serve water to properties in communities across the United States(5), meaning that a large quantity of Americans could still be consuming lead with their water to this day
This begs the question, why even be afraid of lead pipes? In actuality, lead pipes pose a significant threat to the consumer. The main concern involving lead consumption has to do with lead toxicity and lead poisoning; both deadly afflictions that result from a buildup of lead in the body, even in seemingly innocuous amounts. This illness is especially common in children under 6, and can result in developmental difficulties and even permanent brain damage or amnesia in adults(6).
Copper Piping, the New Lead
Copper piping is the new normal. For many years now, the US has used copper piping in almost every home, attesting to its durability and longevity. It is the main piping for over 95% of homes built in the US(7). This makes sense, copper is cheaper, lighter, and easier to install than lead; it can be molded in many ways that lead can’t, and is welded together with solder instead of held together with clamps, making it the clear winner against lead piping.
Copper pipes, however, come with their own difficulties, many in the same way as lead.
Coincidentally, copper piping has been known to also leech into the water that it transfers, contributing as well to health problems such as severe gastrointestinal distress and even permanent kidney and liver damage(8). Ultimately, copper provides only a less immediate problem than lead, which has made it the primary pipe used throughout the US.
PEX, For Better or for Worse
Despite the abundance of copper piping throughout homes in the US, there is a movement towards a possibly safer option, which is PEX pipe (cross-linked polyethylene). A significantly more flexible and disposable material. PEX is simply plastic tubing made to withstand the same workloads as copper. It is already being used in many homes, as its flexibility makes it the most ideal to work with and easiest to replace.
However, it would be a stretch to say that it is safer than copper. Though PEX pipe is made from a plastic resin and can be made to withstand all sorts of different pressures, it still contributes to the same problem as both lead and copper, which is leaching. Although, possibly worst of all, PEX pipe is known to leak microplastics into the water it transfers, especially when exposed to chlorine or low Ph water, PEX piping can suddenly become a deadly commodity as it leaches several toxins such as toluene and MTBE(9). Ultimately, these toxins are neurotoxic and can lead to several forms of cancer, and studies have found that the combination of these makes PEX less safe than PVC(10).
In the end, the environment your water exists in ultimately decides what you are putting in your body, and it is up to you to decide how clean and pure you want your water to be. The best method of staying safe and clean is monitoring your pipes and filtering your water. At-home water tests are also a cheap and efficient way to see if your water has any problems.
Work Cited
“Drinking-water.” World Health Organization (WHO), 13 September 2023, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“A deadly bacteria lurked in the pipes at NIH—and at least 12 patients fell ill.” Advisory Board, Advisory Board, 2 January 2019, https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2019/01/02/water-contamination. Accessed 4 June 2025.
Johnson, Ryan C. “Investigation of a Cluster of Sphingomonas koreensis Infections.” The New England Journal of Medicine, The New England Medical Journal, 26 12 2018, https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1803238. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“ASCE’s 2025 Infrastructure Report Card.” ASCE’s 2025 Infrastructure Report Card, https://infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/drinking-water-infrastructure/. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Lead Service Lines | US EPA.” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 17 January 2025, https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/lead-service-lines. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Spot symptoms and limit exposure-Lead poisoning – Symptoms & causes.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354717. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Plumbing: TechCorner -.” Copper Development Association, https://www.copper.org/applications/plumbing/restools/bnfts_cu_plmbng.html. Accessed 4 June 2025.
“Copper poisoning Information.” Mount Sinai, https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/poison/copper-poisoning. Accessed 4 June 2025.
Stoiber, Tasha. “Amid Pipe Wars, Researchers Wary of Plastic Pipes Leaching Chemicals.” Environmental Working Group, 14 November 2017, https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/amid-pipe-wars-researchers-wary-plastic-pipes-leaching-chemicals. Accessed 4 June 2025.
Kelley, Kevin M. “Release of drinking water contaminants and odor impacts caused by green building cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) plumbing systems.” ScienceDirect, ScienceDIrect, 15 December 2014, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135414006289. Accessed 6 June 2025.