Lead-Chloramine Connection Strengthened

Lead was discovered in Washington, D.C., drinking water in 2004 in alarming concentrations following the district’s switch from chlorine to chloramine for drinking water disinfection. Municipalities around the country took note when U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chemist Mike Schock hypothesized that the switch, made in response to new federal limits on disinfection byproducts, renders lead more soluble.

In April 2006, research published by