by Ian Chillag

For a long time, girlfriend Nora and I used a French press to make coffee in the morning. I, wanting to minimize time between waking up and drinking coffee, would take hot water from the faucet, put it in the kettle, get it to a boil and make coffee from there.

We lived in an old house with old pipes, and Nora would argue that we shouldn't be drinking from the hot water side, saying that it was likely to have more bad stuff in it than the cold water.

I responded that even if it did have more bad stuff, we were boiling it so it didn't matter. Turns out, as usual, I was wrong.

 

From our hometown paper The New York Times:

[H]ot water dissolves contaminants more quickly than cold water, and many pipes in homes contain lead that can leach into water. And lead can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in young children.

Lead is rarely found in source water, but can enter it through corroded plumbing. The Environmental Protection Agency says that older homes are more likely to have lead pipes and fixtures, but that even newer plumbing advertised as "lead-free" can still contain as much as 8 percent lead. A study published in The Journal of Environmental Health in 2002 found that tap water represented 14 to 20 percent of total lead exposure.

Scientists emphasize that the risk is small. But to minimize it, the E.P.A. says cold tap water should always be used for preparing baby formula, cooking and drinking.

But New York Times (and Nora), like I said, we're boiling the water, so what's the big deal?

[The E.P.A.] also warns that boiling water does not remove lead but can actually increase its concentration.

My bad. Sorry about the brain damage, darlin'.