My home was outside of the zone where lead pipes were present.
That doesn't really matter, sadly, if it's connected to the same network. Lead has very bad effects on children in trace amounts, and in a network the water comes from everywhere (it takes all paths, not the shortest path, when you open the tap)
Trace amounts inhibit brain development in children, and there is no treatment possible once it happens. Damage is permanent, even if you remove the lead (which is expensive and has serious side effects). In adults removing lead "works", if you don't mind the price and side effects. Normal concentrations of lead are toxic, as in they will cause your body to lose energy and die if the concentration goes up. Additionally, lead leads to kidney failure and cancer, years and even decades after exposure, in adults and children (though doubtless the Trump administration will shout "the cancer effects have only been proven in mammals".
So you really need to hunt and replace the last lead pipe in the entire network. Because of how the water system works, that includes forcing landlords to remove old lead pipes inside houses.
Oh and don't ask the forbidden question: "isn't the basis of our legal system that if an entity causes damage, intentional or not, it is financially responsible for the consequences. This includes government, and would seem to include both the medical damage done to people and replacing whatever is doing the damage"
The stuff marked “hot water line” “lead safe” is all leaded.
Now, try to find equivalent lines (same threads, diameters, etc) that are not marked for hot water heater use. They don’t stock them, but they stock fixtures that require them.
One thing that puzzles me: ICE has been targeting Home Depot parking lots out here in California, but Home Depot is a big supporter of Trump.
I’d expect them to go after bluer Lowes lots. Maybe Home Depot has agreed not to sue for trespassing or something?
If so, that sounds like a breach of fiduciary duties to me.
Alternatives are skipping the brass fittings/nipples and using copper, stainless, or the various plastics. I'm guessing you're seeing the stuff about water heaters because you shouldn't connect copper directly to water heaters (they have steel tanks which with copper creates a battery and corrodes the connection quickly).
And HD doesn't really stock stainless as far as I've seen, though you can certainly get it online. Not sure how it fits into plumbing code for potable water though.
re: the parking lots, in my experience HD is more popular with tradespeople. the goal of the raids isn't really immigration reform, but rather general fear - including for legal immigrants just trying to go about their business.
It doesn’t particularly matter if small amounts of lead are used in hot water lines since you don’t (or shouldn’t) drink water from the hot water heater. Ideally your drinking water comes from a faucet that has separate hot/cold taps, if it doesn’t, then you should turn the faucet all the way to ‘cold’ when you’re filling a glass with water to drink.
Just less lead.