4 Cities Ordered to Test Water for Lead : Pollution: Santa Ana, Fullerton, Westminster, Tustin are among 45 California municipalities failing to sample home taps.

Forty-five public water agencies in California--including four in Orange County--have failed to sample home tap water for dangerous amounts of lead and copper as required by law and have been ordered to comply by the end of this month, federal officials announced Friday.

In Orange County, the cities of Santa Ana, Fullerton, Westminster and Tustin violated a July deadline requiring water suppliers to begin conducting semiannual tests for the two toxic metals, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Lead, which leaches into water from solder and pipelines, is particularly risky for young children, who can suffer brain damage with chronic exposure, and pregnant women.

“It is extremely important that these systems begin monitoring high-risk homes for lead and copper,” said Harry Seraydarian, EPA’s water management division director.

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act required water systems that serve over 50,000 people to collect tap water samples from households that are considered high-risk every six months, and report the first results to the EPA by July 10. But the 45 utilities, located in 22 counties, failed to do so, the EPA said.

The EPA released its information late Friday, and officials from the city water agencies were unavailable for comment. The water agencies have until the end of October to submit monitoring reports, or they can request a hearing before EPA within 14 days.

Other public water agencies that allegedly violated the law include the city water departments of Oceanside, Chino, Ontario, Redlands, Corona, Santa Barbara, Torrance, Alhambra, Compton, Inglewood, Monterey Park, Oxnard and Ventura.

EPA officials say they do not know why so many areas failed to meet the requirements, but they acknowledge that testing water at household taps is expensive and difficult.

Throughout the state, water utilities were well-versed in the new law. Lee Harry, the city of Santa Ana’s water manager, told The Times last year that the household testing means the city will have to “assume greater responsibility than we have ever had before.”

Unlike most pollutants, water must be sampled for lead and copper at the tap, not its source, since the substances are not a problem until the water passes through pipelines.

Homes at high risk are those with new lead solder applied between 1982 and 1988. Older homes are considered safer because pipes and solders are covered with a protective coating that builds up, allowing less metal to rub off.

Lead in water has never been considered a major threat in Orange County and most of Southern California because of its hard water, which tends to cause less corrosion.

But some areas have detected problems. Lead levels in some Southern California tap water have been found to be twice as high as the national safety limit of 15 parts per billion, according to the Metropolitan Water District.

Ultimately, some local water agencies may have to treat their water to minimize lead concentrations or replace solders and old pipes.

Residents who are concerned about the amount of lead in their water can call (800) CALLMWD for names of state-certified laboratories that will conduct tests.