Originally Posted by
HWooldridge
There ought not be any lead in water supply lines for human consumption, aside from solder that might be sticking the copper pipes together. I seem to recall it was totally banned in the 1980's and any plumbing lead still in use these days would be on the waste side. A lot of states don't even want common leaded brass used in water systems and have pushed for "green" lead-free brass in all new installations.
I have seen lead pipes under toilets - the flange is often attached to a lead piece that goes some distance under the house to either sewer or septic tank. The other more common sources are roof flashings and lead counterweights that were used in elevators (although that may be steel or cast iron now). Fishing sinkers and boat keel weights are other possibilities, although purity is never guaranteed. I picked up about 150 lbs of fishing sinkers a while back for cheap, which appear to be pure lead - but a lot of folks now want a premium for scrap because they recognize bullet casting as a demand driver. There is a guy who advertises on FB Marketplace in Austin, who will sell any amount you want for $2 a pound, already in ingot form. I have no idea where or what his original source is.
I had a friend in the plumbing business who used to supply me with pure lead castoffs, but he passed away some years ago.