Be aware around the home

Make sure that all home renovations and soil disturbances around the home are carried out when children are not at home. Ensure areas are cleaned after any renovations and, if possible, allow a few hours to pass before bringing children back into the home.

Always mop floors rather than sweep and always wet wipe tables and surfaces to limit the generation of dust back into the air.

Wash and brush your pets outside regularly to minimise the amount of dust entering the home. Also wash and dry children's hands after playing with pets.

Ensure that all outdoor footwear is left outside to avoid bringing dust into the home.

An effective way of reducing lead exposure in the garden is to fully cover soil that may be contaminated. Such barriers can consist of:

• plants, ground covers, grass
• natural materials such as mulch, pine chips etc
• man-made substances such as pavers, concrete, crusher dust.

It is important to water the garden to suppress dust. A drip system can be very cost effective. Play equipment or toys that are outside should be hosed down or wet wiped regularly and sandpits should be covered when not in use.

It is assumed that all soils in Port Pirie contain some level of contamination so when growing vegetables, the bed should be raised and clean soil from a local supplier used. Research indicates that some leafy vegetables collect lead bearing dust more readily than others (lettuce and silverbeet for example), so these are not recommended for consumption by young children or pregnant women.

Always remember to thoroughly wash all fruit and vegetables prior to storage and eating.

Remember to regularly hose down hard surfaces, especially children's play equipment. To assist with the lead issue, some exemptions to water restrictions in the Port Pirie area have been put in place by SA Water.

To find out more go to SA Water website...

http://www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/Environment/WaterRestrictionsConservationMeasures/FAQs_L3_Around_HomeGarden.htm and then to the FAQ "I live within a Lead Dust Zone in Port Pirie, can I hose off the lead dust from my property?"