Copper pipes are generally safe for drinking water, but safety depends on several factors.
Copper is naturally antimicrobial, helping to reduce bacteria in water systems, and has been used for centuries in plumbing.
The primary concern is copper leaching into water, especially in acidic water (pH < 7), hot water systems, or when water sits in pipes for long periods. Excessive copper can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and long-term liver or kidney issues.
The EPA sets the action level for copper at 1.3 parts per million (ppm); public water systems must monitor and take action if this level is exceeded in more than 10% of homes.
Lead-free solder and fittings are required since 1978. Older homes with lead solder should be inspected and potentially replaced to avoid lead contamination.
A protective scale layer forms over time in copper pipes, reducing leaching. New installations may have higher leaching until this layer develops.
For safety, test your water if you have older copper plumbing, especially if you notice blue-green stains or a metallic taste.
Bottom line: Copper pipes are safe when properly installed, maintained, and used with balanced water chemistry. If your water is acidic or your system is old, consider a water test or water conditioner.
Copper is great (I’d say the best) PEX is great and inexpensive PVC is most-likely illegal for anything other than irrigation Answer from azbrum75 on reddit.com
Haguewaterofmd
haguewaterofmd.com › home › blog › the negative effects of copper in your drinking water
The Negative Effects of Copper in Your Drinking Water
July 1, 2023 - Copper can be found naturally in rocks, soil, sediment, and water. While copper is a natural substance and is safely used to make things like copper pipes and electrical wiring, the effects copper in your drinking water can be very hazardous.
CuSP
cuspuk.com › news › are-copper-pipes-safe-for-drinking-water
Are copper pipes safe for drinking water? • CuSP
June 10, 2024 - Water service lines are key to offering drinking water, but the choice of piping material is imperative to making that supply safe and sterile. The non-corrosive and antimicrobial properties of copper make it a great option for water pipes, ...
Which pipes are safest (don't leach chemicals)
You will find unlimited different opinions on piping options. Almost impossible to sort it all out. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that pipe leaching is a combination of the properties of the pipe and your water chemistry, which you did not mention. At my old house I had copper pipe with 50/50 tin/lead solder joints, and relatively acidic well water. Pipes failed after about 40 years of service, pinhole leaks, solder failure. Newer copper pipe installation may use crimp fittings, and if the water is close to neutral may last well over 50 years with minimal leaching. Personally I like Wirsbo PEX, the polyethylene should be pretty inert, but there are chemicals used in the manufacturing that could leach. I do not think you will find a totally inert pipe, but you will find a lot of opinions. More on reddit.com
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December 28, 2020Is copper pipe still good?
Copper is great (I’d say the best) PEX is great and inexpensive PVC is most-likely illegal for anything other than irrigation More on reddit.com
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January 28, 2018ELI5: How does tap water remain safe to drink after traveling miles and miles in old pipes underground?
Water in pipes is kept at high pressure so if there's ever a leak water only flows out of the pipe and not into it. Furthermore, the water is cleaned properly before it is pumped into the pipes. That way, only clean water goes through the pipes. More on reddit.com
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August 5, 2015Why do Americans use copper pipes for sanitary water ?
Unclear on translated terminology. In US, sanitary is typically interpreted as sanitary sewer piping. Water for drinking would be termed potable water. It sounds like OP is asking about potable water due to mentioning mainly using PEX. In US copper was the water piping of choice for decades because it was way better than the only other alternative if galvanized steel. There was a brief period 20 years ago where CPVC battled in the marketplace with copper based. Copper was marketed as the higher quality option. But now I’d say 90% of new plumbing is PEX in most of the US. More on reddit.com
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September 2, 2020Videos
04:11
PEX vs Copper Pipes | Ask This Old House - YouTube
02:27
Safest Plumbing for Drinking Water - YouTube
05:17
Copper vs. Galvanized — Which Is Safe for Your Family? ...
16:56
PEX vs COPPER vs CPVC plumbing pipes - YouTube
05:14
How to Choose Water Supply Piping | This Old House - YouTube
Plastic versus Copper: Which is Safer for Drinking Water ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/plumbing › is copper pipe still good?
r/Plumbing on Reddit: Is copper pipe still good?
January 28, 2018 -
Hi, I bought a house recently and had to have all the plumbing replaced because the old galvanized pipes were all rusted up inside and not in great shape, with some leakage, etc.
Anyways, I paid to have copper piping installed and the job turned out nice.
But, when I get online and talk about it, I get all sorts of opinions like I am an idiot or an a**hole for not using PEX or PVC.
Is copper really not that great? One of the reasons I chose copper is because there are a lot of old homes in my town (like my own, which is almost 100 years old) and whenever I see real estate ads for houses for sale around here, they often list all copper plumbing as a selling point/feature. So, I figured that, for an historical home, copper would be most appropriate, style/image wise.
What do you all think?
Utah Department of Environmental Quality
deq.utah.gov › home › about lead and copper
About Lead and Copper - Utah Department of Environmental Quality
April 30, 2025 - Pipes and plumbing may contain lead, copper, or their alloys, such as brass; some solder used at copper pipe joints may also contain lead. Water, particularly corrosive water, can dissolve small amounts of these metals into drinking water.
Baylorinc
baylorinc.com › home › blog › what is the safest pipe for drinking water?
What is the Safest Pipe for Drinking Water? | Baylor Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing
July 31, 2022 - Copper pipes will provide you with safe, clean water for many years to come. After installing copper pipes in your home, you should check the acidity of your water regularly and look out for copper contaminants in your drinking water.
Quora
quora.com › Which-is-safer-PVC-or-copper-water-pipes
Which is safer, PVC or copper water pipes? - Quora
Answer (1 of 5): Both are perfectly safe however the Universal Plumbing Code prohibits the use of PVC for water distribution within a structure. It is typically used as a below ground water service and may only be used up to the the foundation ...
NSF
nsf.org › homepage › consumer resources › copper in drinking water
Copper in Drinking Water | NSF
July 1, 2025 - Second, all certified products also go through extraction testing, which is a process that involves exposing the wetted parts (the parts that are intended for contact with the water, such as the inside of the housing, the filter media, etc.) to an aggressive test water to determine if any heavy metals or other impurities are being introduced. The standards limit the amount of impurities that a certified system can introduce, with the maximum allowed concentrations being based on U.S. EPA or Health Canada drinking water limits. Thirdly, testing is performed to verify if the product is truly effective at reducing the contaminants being claimed by the manufacturer, which in this case is copper.
Department of Health, Victoria
health.vic.gov.au › environmental-health › copper-in-water
Copper in water
August 1, 2024 - Copper is present in surface waters at very low concentrations, usually less than 0.01 mg/L. Copper is used extensively in household pipes and fittings throughout Australia and around the world. Copper can leach into drinking water from some copper pipes and fittings, particularly where water ...
NCBI
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › books › NBK225402
Introduction - Copper in Drinking Water - NCBI Bookshelf
Release into water occurs from ... water can be greatly increased during the distribution of drinking water. Many pipes and plumbing fixtures contain copper, which can leach into the drinking water....
Minnesota Department of Health
health.state.mn.us › communities › environment › water › contaminants › copper.html
Copper in Drinking Water - MN Dept. of Health
Older homes are more likely to have copper piping and copper can get into drinking water if the water moving through the plumbing system is corrosive. Corrosive water can dissolve copper in plumbing parts. Pinhole leaks, pitting in your pipes, or blue green stains on plumbing fixtures may be signs that you have corrosive water.
US EPA
epa.gov › dwreginfo › lead-and-copper-rule
Lead and Copper Rule | US EPA
October 13, 2015 - Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. ... Lead and copper enter drinking water primarily through plumbing materials.
NuFlow Midwest
nuflowmidwest.com › home › inspect your copper plumbing pipes to prevent future problems
Inspect your Copper Plumbing Pipes to Prevent Future Problems
August 25, 2022 - While copper pipes are considered safe, they can still leach copper and other heavy metals into your drinking water.
Copper.org
copper.org › applications › plumbing › water_service › why_copper.html
Why Copper
Lead Pipes—once favored for their durability and ductility—were the go-to material for service lines, but are now known to pose potential health effects even at the lowest levels of exposure to the drinking water they convey. While it has been illegal to install lead piping since 1986, its use for service lines began to fade in favor of copper through the 1960s and '70s.
Eurotubieuropa
eurotubieuropa.it › english › NL › 2014 › 05 › nl_05_4.html
Drinking water: Stainless steel, plastic or copper?
We suggest reading an interesting technical study published in 2011 in the magazine "Stainless Steel World". The author is a scholar and professor of metallurgy, particularly expert in the field of corrosion. The article compares the characteristics of stainless steel, copper and plastic related ...
Coppercouncil
coppercouncil.org › why-copper
Why Copper? - International Wrought Copper Council
March 12, 2025 - Copper is also a much more suitable material for use in water tubes compared to plastic polymers such as PVC and PEX, because it, unlike plastic pipes, ensures for safe drinking water.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/homeimprovement › which pipes are safest (don't leach chemicals)
r/HomeImprovement on Reddit: Which pipes are safest (don't leach chemicals)
December 28, 2020 -
We have purchased a new home that has polybutylene piping, so for peace of mind we are looking to replace all the pipes.
However, we are unsure what type of pipes we should get. We have seen the following options:
Copper
CPVC
Pex (Pex A and Pex B)
Polypropylene
What's most important to us is that there is no/minimal chemical leeching into the water. There seems to be a ton of conflicting sources/articles on this. Does anyone have any data or guidance on which pipes would be the safest for drinking water?
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You will find unlimited different opinions on piping options. Almost impossible to sort it all out. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that pipe leaching is a combination of the properties of the pipe and your water chemistry, which you did not mention. At my old house I had copper pipe with 50/50 tin/lead solder joints, and relatively acidic well water. Pipes failed after about 40 years of service, pinhole leaks, solder failure. Newer copper pipe installation may use crimp fittings, and if the water is close to neutral may last well over 50 years with minimal leaching. Personally I like Wirsbo PEX, the polyethylene should be pretty inert, but there are chemicals used in the manufacturing that could leach. I do not think you will find a totally inert pipe, but you will find a lot of opinions.
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Copper
PlumbHQ
plumbhq.uk › a › central › articles › copper-vs-plastic-pipes-which-one-is-better-for-plumbing
Copper vs Plastic Pipes: Which One is Better for Plumbing? | PlumbHQ Hub
February 11, 2024 - Plastic systems, when WRAS approved, are safe for drinking water. Unlike copper, plastic doesn't have automatic antimicrobial properties. Copper pipes are inherently more environmentally friendly as they can be reused and recycled repeatedly.
Canada.ca
canada.ca › en › health-canada › services › publications › healthy-living › water-talk-copper.html
Water Talk - Copper in Drinking Water - Canada.ca
July 19, 2019 - Bathing and showering in water that contains copper should not be a health risk. If you have concerns about your drinking water or health, contact your public drinking water authority or public health authority for more information. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or preparing infant formula ...
535 Plumbing
535plumbing.com › 2021 › 06 › 15 › safest-pipe-for-drinking-water
What Are The Safest Pipes For Drinking Water? | 535 Plumbing
March 15, 2024 - You should replace those pipes if you find more than 1 mg per liter of copper particles in your water. Plastic pipes, such as CPVC, and PEX are pipe materials that are safe for drinking water.
Austec Piping
austecpiping.com.au › home › why copper pipe turns green — and is it safe for drinking water?
Why Copper Pipe Turns Green — and Is It Safe for Drinking Water? - Austec Piping
May 20, 2025 - Here’s the good news: in most cases, yes — oxidised copper is still safe for transporting drinking water, as long as the corrosion is not excessive. In fact, the patina helps prevent too much copper from leaching into the water.