With high-profile stories around the region and the country of lead being found in drinking water supplies, including parts of Tacoma and Seattle, Renton officials are assuring residents that the city’s water supply is safe.

“The news is good news,” Public Works Administrator Gregg Zimmerman told the City Council last week. “Renton does not have a problem with excess lead in our water.”

Zimmermann was asked by the mayor to provide a report after reports showed high levels of lead in some Tacoma homes and schools and after Seattle officials asked residents to run their taps for two minutes after it had been sitting for more than six hours.

Zimmerman said the law requires Renton to test its water supply every year and the city was always been “well below” the federal action limits of 15 parts per billion.

According to Zimmerman, lead in drinking water generally comes not from the source but leached out of pipes, particularly the plumbing in older homes, especially those built before 1986. Drinking water is generally slightly acidic on the pH scale, which has a corrosive effect if not treated and can leach lead from pipes or even solder connecting pipes.

Because of that, the city adds a corrosion-control agent to counteract the water’s natural acidity and prevent further corrosion.

Federal law also requires the city to take samples from 40-65 pre-1986 homes each year. The most common problem, according to the city’s water-quality report, is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and fixtures, which can leach lead into the water, especially hot water.

In Renton, Zimmerman said tests indicate that 90 percent of the city’s water tests between 0 and 3 parts per billion, while the other 10 percent is higher than 3 parts per billion, but assured residents it is still “much lower” than the actionable limit.

“In most cases there’s no detection at all and where there is detection it’s well below the level that’s been established,” he said.

Zimmermann said only four tests came in higher than 3 parts per billion.

“The trend has been going down, by the way,” he said.

The city has also for years been replacing lead and galvanized steel goosenecks, which connect the city’s pipes to homes, with copper piping to further cut down on the possibility of lead leaching into the water.

“We don’t think there’s many at all of these lead goosenecks in the system,” he said.

Zimmerman said residents concerned about the possibility of lead, especially those in older homes, should run their faucet for two minutes to clear the water out from the home’s pipes and bring in fresh water from the city’s supply. He also said to make sure and do as much of your cooking as possible with cold water as hot water tends to leach more lead from pipes.

To see a copy of the city’s Water Quality Report, visit the website at rentonwa.gov or call 425-430-7400 and ask for water quality.