Concern is beginning to grow swiftly across the country following lead being found in drinking water in Flint, Michigan and more recently in Newark, New Jersey.

Flickr User Joe Pell
Flickr User Joe Pell
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There are ways you can look for lead in your drinking water to either prevent it from entering your pipe lines or to eliminate it completely.

Lead in your drinking water can present a number of health issues for you and your family but more so in pregnant woman and children according to the Suez Company in Toms River.

"Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components that are associated with service lines and home plumbing," said Suez spokeswoman Jane Kunka, who adds any part of the pipe running from the curb to your home may be a "lead service line".

She adds you can cut down on the potential for lead exposure by running the sink anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes under cold water.

What can you do if your unsure how clean your water is?

Suez said lead usually runs through an underground pipeline shared by you and your neighbor at which point one option is to call Suez and work out how to move forward.

"Suez is responsible for providing high quality drinking water to our customers," said Kunka. "It is lead free when it leaves our treatment facilities."

Residents unsure how clean their water is could have it tested at a local facility or to find out more about lead in the water you may use to eat and drink Kunka asks residents to contact the EPA.

You can call them toll-free at 800-426-4791 or find a list of locations near you HERE.

Kunka adds lead can enter drinking water through corrosion of plumbing materials that contain lead such as pipes.

Older homes, more so establishments built before 1986 may be more inept to have lead due to the amount of indoor plumbing.

If your not sure about doing it yourself you can call a licensed plumber who would be able to locate the exact spot of the pipeline before you dig an unneeded and exhausting amount of holes in your lawn.

On the other hand after a growing concern in the last couple decades on ground water in the Toms River, water continues to be tested state health labs to monitor it and make sure there are no problems.

This comes after the Citizens Action Committee on Childhood Cancer Cluster and Linda Gillick who Co-Founded Ocean of Love, said the cancer in children decreased after the water supply in and around the Toms River was removed from their drinking water.

However Kunka adds, "All water provided to our customers is derived from ground water, not the Toms River."

For more details of the steps you can take to prevent and treat your drinking water from being contaminated by lead you can visit Suez online.

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