▁household ▁pl umb ing ▁materials . ▁Hom es ▁built ▁before ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁are ▁more ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁lead ▁pip es , ▁fi xt ures , ▁and ▁sol der . ▁Le ad ▁can ▁le ach ▁into ▁water ▁systems ▁when ▁these ▁pl umb ing ▁materials ▁cor ro de . ▁The ▁acid ity ▁or ▁al kal inity ▁of ▁water ▁– ▁or ▁of ▁any ▁solution ▁– ▁is ▁expressed ▁as ▁p H , ▁from ▁ 0 – 1 4 . ▁An yth ing ▁neutral , ▁for ▁example , ▁has ▁a ▁p H ▁of ▁ 7 . ▁Ac ids ▁have ▁a ▁p H ▁less ▁than ▁ 7 , ▁bases ▁( alk al ine ) ▁greater ▁than ▁ 7 . ▁p H ▁greatly ▁affect s ▁cor ros ion . ▁Tem per ature ▁and ▁min eral ▁content ▁also ▁affect ▁how ▁cor ros ive ▁it ▁is . ▁Le ad ▁in ▁drink ing ▁water ▁can ▁cause ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁ad verse ▁health ▁effects . ▁Ex pos ure ▁to ▁lead ▁in ▁drink ing ▁water ▁can ▁cause ▁del ays ▁in ▁physical ▁and ▁mental ▁development ▁in ▁b ab ies ▁and ▁children . ▁Ad ult s ▁who ▁drink ▁this ▁water ▁over ▁many ▁years ▁could ▁develop ▁kid ney ▁problems ▁or ▁high ▁blood ▁pressure . ▁ ▁Water ▁treatment ▁chemical s : ▁Im pro per ▁handling ▁or ▁storage ▁of ▁water - well ▁treatment ▁chemical s ▁( such ▁as ▁dis in fect ants ▁or ▁cor ros ion ▁in hib itors ) ▁close ▁to ▁your ▁well ▁can ▁cause ▁problems . ▁ ▁Non - point ▁sources ▁of ▁poll ution ▁