Is There Lead in Your Akron/Canton Tap Water?

Lead is not present in Akron’s source water. Water supplied by the Akron Water Supply Bureau leaves the treatment plant without lead.

Akron has made significant progress in addressing this issue at the system level. As of late 2025, the city has successfully removed all known lead service lines from its public water distribution system, making Akron officially lead service line free on the public side.

Current monitoring data continues to reflect strong performance. The EPA action level for lead is 15 parts per billion, and Akron’s 90th percentile result is 1.83 parts per billion. In addition, 0 out of 50 samples exceeded the action level.

These results indicate that the system is performing well. Still, because lead exposure is tied to plumbing inside the home, levels can vary depending on individual property conditions.

The most common way lead can enter a drinking water system is through corrosive aging pipes and plumbing infrastructure. Many homes, and sometimes entire communities, have plumbing infrastructure that has not been updated for decades, and sometimes more than a century.

This is most often tied to older homes or plumbing components, rather than the water source itself. These homes are at high risk for lead contamination, even if the water coming through it has been properly treated.

When pipes, fitting or solder have become corroded, water can become contaminated.

Preventing lead exposure starts with simple, consistent habits at home.

Flushing your tap for 30 seconds to a few minutes before using water for drinking or cooking helps clear out water that has been sitting in pipes. Using cold water is also recommended, since hot water is more likely to draw metals from plumbing materials.

Testing your water at the tap remains the most reliable way to understand your home’s specific conditions. Since Akron’s system is below action levels, most variation now comes from plumbing within individual homes.

For additional protection, many homeowners choose to install drinking water systems designed to reduce heavy metals. Reverse osmosis systems are commonly used and provide targeted treatment at the tap.

A test can determine whether your household has tap water, and whether this exposure can be avoided in the interim by flushing it for a specified amount of time. Knowing this can be the difference between your family becoming exposed to lead in tap water.

In addition to its once widespread use, and continued use in some plumbing fittings and solder, lead is virtually undetectable in water. Since you can’t see, taste, or smell it, prolonged exposure can be common. Lead in drinking water is especially harmful for young children and pregnant women, but is not safe for anyone to consume, in any concentration. Since lead is not visible, tasteless, and odorless, many homeowners are unaware of exposure without testing.

For children, the effects of consuming lead-contaminated water are especially high. Once consumed, lead remains in our bodies or ‘bioaccumulates’, as we can’t flush the contaminant from our system. Once there, lead can cause serious behavioral and cognitive problems for children, and over time it can lead to:

Lead also crosses the placenta, so it’s especially important for pregnant women to avoid drinking water contaminated with lead. In addition to harming the mother, it can cause stunted fetal growth and premature birth.

For the average adult, lead exposure from water can cause heart and cardiovascular issues, reduce kidney function, and contribute to reproductive problems.

The degree and severity of these issues depends on how much lead you’ve been exposed to, and how much is stored in your body, though governing health authorities like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) caution that no amount of lead is safe.

Lead exposure in drinking water is most often tied to plumbing inside the home, which is why many homeowners look for solutions that treat water at the point of use.

Culligan drinking water systems, including reverse osmosis units, are designed to reduce contaminants such as lead and improve overall water quality. These systems provide an added layer of protection beyond municipal treatment.

For Akron and Canton residents, combining strong municipal infrastructure improvements with in-home filtration can help further reduce exposure and improve confidence in drinking water.

Certain water treatment systems are designed to reduce lead at the point where water is used most.

Common solutions include:

These solutions can help provide more consistent water quality throughout the home, especially in areas where plumbing may contribute to trace metal exposure.

The City of Akron has developed a Lead Awareness Campaign to help educate residents about potential sources of lead exposure and how to reduce risk.

This initiative highlights both the city’s progress and the role homeowners play in maintaining water quality. Akron has removed all known public lead service lines, and efforts are now focused on identifying and replacing any remaining private galvanized pipes that may have previously been connected to lead.

The campaign encourages residents to take proactive steps such as flushing tap water, using cold water for consumption, and testing water at the tap when needed.

By combining long-term infrastructure improvements with homeowner awareness, Akron continues to reduce risk and maintain safe drinking water across the community.

Because lead exposure can vary from one home to another, testing is one of the most important first steps.

A professional water test can help determine:

The Flint Water Crisis began in 2014 when a change in water source and improper treatment caused lead to leach from aging pipes into the drinking water supply.

While the immediate crisis has since been addressed and water quality has improved significantly, the situation remains one of the most well-known examples of how changes in water chemistry and infrastructure can impact drinking water safety.

Today, Flint is often referenced as a case study in the importance of corrosion control, infrastructure maintenance, and ongoing water quality monitoring.

The final tally on the Flint Water Crisis, which included e.coli bacteria, THMs, lead, and a Legionnaire’s disease outbreak, resulted in 6,000 to 12,000 children exposed to lead and a slew of lawsuits, investigations, resignations and criminal indictments.