California Proposition 65

California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, known as Proposition 65, requires businesses to give a clear and reasonable warning before exposing California residents to chemicals that the State of California has found to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. The state publishes and updates the list of these chemicals, which currently includes more than 900 substances.

Why some of our products carry a warning

Many plumbing and HVAC products are made from materials that can contain listed chemicals. Common examples include:

  • Brass and bronze (valves, fittings, faucets, nipples and hydrants), which can contain lead.
  • PVC and CPVC pipe and fittings, which can contain chemicals such as vinyl chloride or certain phthalates.
  • ABS pipe and fittings, which can contain chemicals such as styrene or acrylonitrile.
  • Solvent cements, primers and other chemical products.

Where a product may expose you to a listed chemical, we show this warning on the product page:

⚠ WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including lead, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

What the warning means

A Proposition 65 warning does not mean that a product is unsafe or that it violates any product safety standard. It means the product contains, or may contain, a listed chemical. Exposure depends on how the product is used, and in many cases it is very low.

Lead-free plumbing products

Products that carry drinking water must meet the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act lead-free requirement (no more than 0.25% weighted average lead on wetted surfaces), often certified to NSF/ANSI 372. Lead-free products may still carry a Proposition 65 warning, because the standard allows small amounts of lead. Some brass and bronze valves and fittings are not lead-free; these are intended for non-potable uses such as heating, steam, gas or other systems that do not supply drinking water. Always check the product details and your local plumbing code before installing a product on a drinking water line.

Questions

If you have questions about a specific product, please contact us with the part number. For more information about Proposition 65, visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.