Copper in Drinking Water

Copper in your drinking water can cause negative health effects and leave staining on your plumbing. In this article we’ll cover what Copper is, how it gets into your drinking water, what levels are dangerous, and how to test for it.

Copper in Drinking Water at a Glance:

Health Effects: Gastrointestinal distress, liver damage, kidney damage

MCL: 1.3 ppm

Test: Safe Home Heavy Metals in Water Based Liquids Test Kit

Treatment: Reverse Osmosis (RO), Ion-Exchange softener

What is Copper?

Copper is a naturally occurring mineral that is primarily known for its manufacturing uses. It’s been used in many plumbing applications such as copper piping, tubs, sinks, and faucets.

Copper piping is commonly made of roughly 99.9% pure copper. Many fixtures and valves are made of copper alloys which have compounds like brass and bronze included.

How does Copper get into my Drinking Water?

Copper is commonly used in plumbing and fixtures in households. While this is traditionally a safe material to use, it can be a problem with highly corrosive water. When water is corrosive (also known as aggressive), it can leech metals out of plumbing which end up in your drinking water.

Corrosive water is associated with low pH (acidic) water. There are calculations such as the Langelier Saturation Index and the Aggressive Index that can determine if your water is aggressive. If your water is shown to be aggressive and is high in metals such as copper, this may be the cause.

Negative Effects of Copper in Drinking Water

Copper is a mineral that is healthy in small amounts. But too much of it can cause gastrointestinal distress in the short term. Having elevated levels of copper in your drinking water can cause liver and kidney damage with prolonged exposure.

If someone has Wilson Disease, copper can accumulate in the body and affect many organs. This genetic disease is rare but can be life-threatening without treatment.

What level of Copper in Drinking Water is Dangerous?

The EPA has set the MCL (Maximum Contaminant Limit) for Copper as 1.3ppm. The MCL is the highest amount of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. These limits are set on public health standards as well as the cost of treatment.

How to Test for Copper in Drinking Water

To test for copper, we recommend using the Safe Home Heavy Metals Test Kit. This test will let you collect a sample at home and then have it analyzed at our EPA-Certified Lab.

What to do if your Copper Levels are too High

If Copper Levels are too high in your water, a point of entry or point of use filter can be used. Many popular filtration systems such as RO systems or Ion-exchange water softeners can be effective at reducing copper levels.

Showing your lab report to a filtration professional can help them find the right filter for your needs.