Lead is a dangerous toxin for young children.
Kids exposed to lead perform worse in school than their peers. They also face a higher risk of developmental disabilities, mental illnesses and high blood pressure.
Unfortunately, lead poisoning remains common in Shelby County. Almost 390 local kids were diagnosed last year. Most of these kids live in the city’s older neighborhoods, where lead is most common.
The City of Memphis and Shelby County have free resources to help parents protect their young children. We encourage parents of children under the age of 6 to look into each of these programs.
Have your kids tested
If your young children live in a home built before 1978, it’s recommended that their blood be tested for lead. (This also applies if they regularly visit a home, preschool or daycare built before 1978.)
To learn more or to schedule a free test, contact your child’s pediatrician, call the Shelby County Health Department at 901-222-9582 or email them at sch.clppp@shelbycountytn.gov.
If you’re unsure when your home was built, check the Shelby County Assessor of Property website* and Realtor.com.
*Some brief tips on navigating this tricky website: If you know where within the city the apartment or rental home is located, click the plus symbol in the top left corner to zoom in. You can drag the map around with your mouse. Once you zoom in far enough, you’ll be able to click on the property. You can also use the “Search by Address” function on the left side of the webpage, but it usually won’t work for apartment complexes. For the street name, don’t enter things like “E,” “East,” “St.” or “Street.” For example, enter “Holmes” instead of “East Holmes Road.”
Have your home inspected
If your home was built before 1978, lead could be hiding in its pipes, soil or old paint that has since been painted over.
Especially if the home was built before 1950, it’s worth having it inspected for lead hazards. (Homes built before then contain the most lead paint.)
The nonprofit Green and Health Homes Initiative, the City of Memphis and Shelby County offer inspections free of charge if you meet certain criteria. For the city and county programs, your household income must be below:
- $49,200 for a 2-person household
- $55,350 for a 3-person household
- $61,450 for a 4-person household
- $66,400 for a 5-person household
- $71,300 for a 6-person household
To apply for the county program, call 901-222-7605. To apply for the city program, call 901-636-5323, email info@leadsafememphis.org or click here. To apply for GHHI, call 901-287-4984 or email memphis@ghhi.org.
If the inspectors find lead, the programs will remove or encapsulate it.
If you’re a renter, you’ll need help from your landlord to participate in these programs. If they aren’t being helpful — or if you have other lead-related complaints — email the Shelby County Lead Prevention and Sustainability Commission at leadfreeshelby@gmail.com.
If you don’t qualify for the free programs, consider hiring a firm certified by the State of Tennessee to inspect and renovate your home.
Have your water tested
Experts recommend having your water tested for lead if you have children under the age of 6, especially if any of the following are also true:
- Your home was built before 1950.
- You are feeding an infant formula.
- Your home appears in gray or yellow on this map, which may contain some outdated information.
To have your water tested for free by MLGW, call 901-320-3962 or email waterlab@mlgw.org.
To learn more about lead, click here to download a helpful booklet from the Environmental Protection Agency, or call the agency’s lead hotline at 1-800-424-5323.
Sources: City of Memphis LEAD-SAFE program, Shelby County Lead Hazard Control Program, Shelby County Health Department and the Green and Health Homes Initiative.
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