Lead In Drinking Water In Georgia
What residents of Georgia need to know about lead in drinking water — including how it enters water, which utilities have documented violations, and what steps to take.
Source: EPA SDWIS, Georgia Environmental Protection Division (Georgia EPD), CDC · Last reviewed: 2025-01-01
Quick Answer
Is lead in drinking water a real concern in Georgia?
Yes — Atlanta and other older Georgia cities have zones of pre-1986 housing and aging distribution infrastructure with lead concerns.
Is this mostly a public-water issue, a private-well issue, or both?
Primarily older household plumbing in pre-1986 construction; Georgia's public water systems are required to test under the Lead and Copper Rule.
What is the main reason residents should care?
Georgia EPD enforces federal Lead and Copper Rule requirements. Atlanta's older neighborhoods (Inman Park, Grant Park, Vine City, and others) have housing stock from the late 19th and early 20th century with outdated plumbing materials.
Key Facts
| Federal Lead Action Level | 15 µg/L — zero is the CDC-recognized safe threshold |
| Federal MCLG | Zero |
| Atlanta context | Older neighborhoods have significant pre-1986 housing stock with lead plumbing |
| Regulatory framework | Georgia EPD enforces Lead and Copper Rule |
| State oversight | Georgia Environmental Protection Division (Georgia EPD) |
Why This Matters in Georgia
Georgia has a mix of large urban utilities, smaller municipal systems, and rural water providers. Atlanta's urban core has significant older housing stock where lead solder and aging plumbing are a concern. Georgia EPD requires all community water systems to conduct lead and copper tap monitoring and to submit lead service line inventories under federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. The state's water chemistry varies considerably — some surface water systems produce naturally corrosive water that requires active corrosion control treatment to limit lead leaching.
Georgia Utilities With Lead Violation Records
The utilities listed below have at least one lead violation on record in EPA's SDWIS database. Violations may be open or resolved — see individual utility pages for current status and risk level.
Atlanta
Atlanta · 1,089,893 served
North Fulton County
Georgia · 434,517 served
Columbus
Georgia · 229,000 served
Augusta-richmond Co Ws
Augusta · 204,000 served
Henry County Water Authority
Georgia · 187,437 served
Savannah-main
Savannah · 168,958 served
Forsyth Co. Water & Sewer
Cumming · 161,200 served
Gainesville
Gainesville · 140,000 served
Macon Water Authority
Georgia · 130,024 served
Columbia County
Martinez · 124,763 served
How Lead Gets Into Drinking Water
Lead service lines
The pipe connecting a home to the water main may be made of lead, especially in pre-1986 construction. Water sitting in these lines can accumulate lead before it reaches the tap.
Lead solder
Lead solder at pipe joints was banned for potable water systems in 1986. Homes built before that date — including significant portions of older Georgia cities — may still have lead solder throughout their plumbing.
Older brass fixtures
Faucets, valves, and fixtures with high lead content were common before the 2014 revision of 'lead-free' standards. Replacing older fixtures at kitchen and drinking taps can meaningfully reduce exposure.
Corrosive water chemistry
Soft, acidic, or low-alkalinity water dissolves lead from plumbing more readily. Utilities use orthophosphate and other corrosion control treatments, but household plumbing after the meter is not within their control.
Who Should Pay Closest Attention
Residents in Atlanta's older neighborhoods, families in pre-1978 rental housing throughout the state, and children under six are at the greatest risk from lead in drinking water.
Families with children under six
Pregnant residents
Households in homes built before 1986
Renters who cannot inspect building plumbing
Residents on a confirmed lead service line
Households that had plumbing work done recently (disturbances dislodge protective scale)
How to Check Your Situation in Georgia
- 1
Identify your water utility. Use the ZIP lookup below or browse the Georgia utility directory on this site.
- 2
Read your utility's page on this site to see its current risk level and any open lead violations.
- 3
Contact your utility and ask for your address-level service line material status. Under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), utilities must maintain and provide this information.
- 4
Review your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) — mailed annually or available on the utility's website.
- 5
Consider testing your tap water at a Georgia Environmental Protection Division (Georgia EPD)-certified lab. Your state health department or Georgia Environmental Protection Division (Georgia EPD) maintains a list of certified labs.
- 6
If you have young children or are pregnant, install a certified NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 filter at the kitchen tap as a precautionary measure.
Treatment Options
Boiling does not remove lead. Use a certified filter for drinking and cooking water.
NSF/ANSI Standard 53 — Activated Carbon Block
Under-sink or pitcher filters certified to Standard 53 are independently verified to reduce lead. Replace filters on the manufacturer's schedule — an overdue filter may not perform as certified.
NSF/ANSI Standard 58 — Reverse Osmosis
RO systems certified to Standard 58 remove 95–99% of lead and a broad range of contaminants. Requires under-sink installation. More comprehensive than Standard 53 for households with multiple contaminant concerns.
Flushing — temporary mitigation only
EPA recommends flushing the cold tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes if water has sat in pipes for 6+ hours. Not a substitute for certified filtration or service line replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Lead — National Overview
All U.S. utilities with lead records
Georgia State Overview
All utilities and water quality data
Nitrate in Drinking Water
A separate but common concern
Reverse Osmosis Guide
Removes 95–99% of lead
Activated Carbon Filter Guide
NSF/ANSI 53 certified options
All Contaminants
Complete reference library
Data Sources & Provenance
All data on this page is sourced from official U.S. government or public datasets.
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