Aussies are being urged to be cautious when drinking tap water with fears household taps could be contaminated with lead.
The government warning, that was issued around six months ago but not publicised, claims people should run taps for at least 30 seconds before using water for drinking or cooking with growing concerns surrounding lead poisoning.
Although it is unusual to find lead in drinking water service pipes in Australia, the Environmental Health Standing Committee or enHealth which represents the Commonwealth, state and territory health departments plus the National Health and Medical Research Council, claimed Australians still need to be aware of the risks associated with drinking tap water.
Infants and children are identified as those most vulnerable to lead poisoning which could ultimately lead to problems with brain development.
However, contamination could also cause damage to digestive, cardiovascular, renal and reproductive functions, in both the young and old.
“For example, infants who drink formula prepared with lead-contaminated water may be at a higher risk because of the large volume of water they consume relative to their body size.” According to the statement from enHealth, lead can dissolve into drinking water from some brass plumbing fittings, particularly where water has been sitting in contact with the products for long periods of time.
The leaching can be more significant in hot water.
Australia currently permits up to 4.5 per cent lead content in brass fittings which is 18 times higher than the US and Canadian standard of 0.25 per cent, the Daily Telegraph reports.
According to the Daily Telegraph, following questions to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, a department spokesman claimed enHealth has made recommendations the allowable level in Australia be reduced.
However, no decision has been made as to what this new level will be.

Scientists have developed a method to efficiently clean water contaminated with toxic mercury—one of the major causes of environmental damage and health problems worldwide.
It is particularly harmful for children and can also be transmitted from a mother to a child during pregnancy.
Industries need better methods to reduce the risk of mercury being released in nature," said Wickman.
The electrode is made of the noble metal platinum, and through an electrochemical process it draws the toxic mercury out of the water to form an alloy of the two.
In this way, the water is cleaned of the mercury contamination.
The alloy formed by the two metals is very stable, so there is no risk of the mercury re-entering the water.
This is the first time the technique with electrochemical alloying has been used for decontamination purposes," said Cristian Tunsu, researcher at Chalmers.
One strength of the new cleaning technique is that the electrode has a very high capacity.
Thereby, the electrode can be recycled, and the mercury disposed of in a safe way.
Even though there may be many different types of substance in the water, it just removes the mercury.

A six-month-old warning to flush household taps for about 30 seconds in the morning to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water is "common sense", the government has said.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt responded to recommendations by the Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth) over lead poisoning concerns, released in July, that was on Sunday highlighted in media reports.
"I’m pleased that now, somewhat delayed, it has been given the prominence that I thought it should have otherwise received."
The enHealth statement — which represents the National Health and Medical Research Council along with Commonwealth, state and territory departments — offers a series of "precautions" to reduce exposure to lead that may be dissolving into drinking water from plumbing products.
Consuming levels above that can have a negative effect on your health.
There is no need for households to have their water tested, it adds.
The federal government is reportedly considering new national guidelines that will reduce the permitted amount of lead in brass fittings from 4.5 percent.
After three years, water tested found the levels of lead to be below Australia’s maximum allowance.
Authorities later deemed the water supply safe.
Minister Hunt said the guidelines do not relate to a particular incident.

This chilling admission by insiders at the blood transfusion centre comes amid reports that some patients were being dangerously exposed to cancer causing radiation, while most soils and Lake Victoria water are contaminated with toxic chemicals.
ALSO READ: Hyacinth ties Lake Victoria business The latest evidence by staff of the Nairobi Regional Blood Transfusion Centre (NRBTC) published early this month found blood prepared for transfusion contaminated with disease-causing germs.
Last year, the same team reported 18 per cent of tested samples of platelets concentrates had failed to meet required standards.
The blood bank’s head of Communication Kamotho Makara said they have already commissioned a new study to validate the findings indicating contamination of blood at the Nairobi centre.
In the same journal issue, patients and staff at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) were reported to be dangerously exposed to cancer causing radiation.
The study involving 170 clinicians at KNH found almost half of them are likely to send patients for needless radiation diagnosis.
Almost 60 per cent of the doctors were found to refer patients for imaging even where not necessary.
These reports also coincide with the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2018 global data on cancer released in September that showed a disease on the match.
The team had sampled soils at various points between Kiambu and Mombasa and found high contamination with cancer causing chemicals.
Pesticide use in the region, are blamed for a 40 per cent decline of pollinating bees, 18 per cent of butterflies and a 10 per cent wildlife mortalities in the basin.

Water which has been contaminated with mercury and other toxic heavy metals is a major cause of environmental damage and health problems worldwide.
Now, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, present a totally new way to clean contaminated water, through an electrochemical process.
Their method works via extracting the heavy metal ions from water by encouraging them to form an alloy with another metal.
Industries need better methods to reduce the risk of mercury being released in nature," says Björn Wickman.
The electrode is made of the noble metal platinum, and through an electrochemical process it draws the toxic mercury out of the water to form an alloy of the two.
In this way, the water is cleaned of the mercury contamination.
This is the first time the technique with electrochemical alloying has been used for decontamination purposes," says Cristian Tunsu.
One strength of the new cleaning technique is that the electrode has a very high capacity.
According to the WHO, mercury is one of the most dangerous substances for human health, influencing our nervous system, brain development and more.
In industries where heavy metals are used, there is a need for better methods of recycling, cleaning and decontamination of the affected water.

Officials and residents are frustrated at the Defence Force’s handling of the water-contamination problem at Ōhakea, saying they want someone in uniform to front up.
* Councils call for action to fix water-contamination problems at Ōhakea * Blood testing is not recommended for individuals affected by toxic foam contamination * Information requested but reasons not disclosed * Toxic foam found in fire trucks and storage at three more commercial airports Worboys said the Defence Force had been invited to numerous meetings, along with other officials, and until recently defence had been the missing link around the table, which was causing frustration.
Worboys said Parker was showing empathy and compassion for the community and the effect it had on them.
Before the meeting on Tuesday night, Parker said there had been discussion about where to from here.
He said at the meeting residents expressed frustration towards the Defence Force.
The Manawatū District Council had sent Parker a community water scheme plan for residents, which he received a few days before the meeting and still had to look through.
Worboys said even though water tanks had been supplied to properties whose bore water was contaminated, this did nothing to fix the problems for stock.
"Those water tanks are a permanent replacement for the bore water those people were using previously."
Properties receiving bottled water as a precaution have now reverted back to their previous drinking water supply.
"Those people whose drinking water has been affected directly have been given water tanks, which are plumbed into their household systems and replace the bore water they may have been using previously."

Manager Ryan Schaap tells the Eastern New Mexico News that the cows at Highland Dairy need to be milked but nobody will buy their wares, imperiling the dairy and its 40 employees.
Chemicals associated with firefighting foam once used at Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis have been detected in groundwater on and near the military installation, prompting requests by state officials for more tests and a study to determine the extent of the toxic plume.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been detected in some off-base wells.
Schaap’s business is among those affected.
He said water at the dairy and farm were found to be 35 and 200 times the EPA limit, respectively.
Water at his parents’ home tested 10 times the limit.
A scientist with the New Mexico Environment Department explained at a recent town hall in Clovis that the chemicals can accumulate, making their way from water into crops, livestock and other products.
A standard for those chemicals’ hazards in food and animals hasn’t been established in the same way it has for drinking water, and officials have said more research is needed.
"Right now what’s in front of us is dealing with drinking water here at Cannon Air Force Base."
"Cannon must take responsibility of this problem and stop hiding behind the curtain of government," he wrote in a statement.

City spokesperson Richard Stevens said in a release that Clarkville Gas & Water (CGW) crews worked for 21 hours Sunday and Monday to repair the 12-inch sewer main line that failed near the intersection of Trenton Road and Stillwood Drive.
As required by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), signs will be posted on a nearby creek to meet public notification requirements and a sewer overflow report has been submitted as required.
Stevens said the break was 18-feet deep and under a large entrance wall for the Timber Springs subdivision.
A 6-inch high-pressure gas main, a 2-inch gas main and a 12-inch water main all were in the same area, and care had to be taken during excavation to minimize potential damage to other utilities, CGW officials said.
A gas-leak technician arrived at 1:47 a.m., diagnosed the sewer problem and called in a sewer crew to investigate.
The water/wastewater supervisor was on the scene at 2:47 a.m. Sunday and the Wastewater Collections System Manager and a sewer construction crew mobilized and responded at about 3 a.m. to begin repairs in accordance CGW Sewer Overflow Response Plan.
An emergency locate for underground utility lines was called in to Tennessee 811.
During excavation, the crew damaged and repaired a 2-inch gas main that was not mapped.
The wall and some trees had to be demolished in order to access the sewer main below it.
“Seven crew members responded and were on the clock by 3 a.m. Sunday.

View Slideshow 1 of 4 Senior level officials from the Department of Defense were in Newburgh Thursday, where they held a public forum on the PFOS water contamination.
That August, New York state designated Stewart Air National Guard base a Superfund site, after finding the source of PFOS contamination was the historic use of firefighting foam at the base.
In August the city filed a federal lawsuit against a number of parties, including the Air Force, to stop PFOS contamination of the city’s water supply.
And the Department of Defense is well aware of the city’s action as is the state of New York,” says Ciaravino.
“New York continues to demand that the DoD step up and commit to concrete actions to address PFOS contamination from the Stewart Air National Guard Base.” Invites weren’t the only source of contention.
“That’s not what we need to hear now.
We need to hear, on this date we’re going to take action.” Meantime, McMahon says his department is working through CERCLA to address PFOS contamination.
“And part of that is remediation and part of it certainly is financial compensation for the damage that they did.” Skoufis says he also found out about the meeting just a few days earlier and understands the frustration of short notice and a meeting held during the day, when many residents are unable to attend.
She says the day was a breakthrough in terms of meeting face-to-face with the assistant secretaries, but hopes action is not years into the future.
Greene presented petitions to McMahon during the public forum, ones she has held onto since June.

Drinking water standards to be beefed up after Havelock North gastro crisis It comes following the biggest ever review into the network.
Source: 1 NEWS The Health Minister is tightening up drinking water standards, including the testing for bacteria, following the Havelock North water contamination over two years ago that left 5000 people sick in a gastro outbreak.
"The bottom line is public safety.
A high reading doesn’t necessarily mean drinking-water is unsafe but can serve as an indicator of potential issues, he said.
He’s also considering a change to testing for E.Coli.
At the moment drinking-water suppliers test to determine if E. Coli is present in water and then carry out a second test if the initial test is positive.
This means a delay of up to two days before authorities know if there is a contamination.
Dr Clark says this should eliminate the need to carry out a second test, as the initial test will be able to determine both the presence of these bacteria and also how prevalent they are.
There will be consultation on changes affecting testing for E.coli and other coliform bacteria, which will include talking to testing laboratories which don’t provide this form of testing to ensure they will have the capacity to provide this service into the future, he said.
The paper on the future of the three waters system details proposals for a system-wide reform of regulation of drinking water, along with a new risk management regime for sources of drinking-water.