At 05:15 PM 6/5/04 -0700, you wrote:
      Lead pipes
are common in OLD houses but even there lead pipes are only
 used for drainage and not for incoming water. I don't think lead pipes have
 been used for incoming water for AT LEAST 150 years. 
When copper tubing is used, what is it soldered with? 
 
  today: Tin 99+%   Previously: Why do you think they called it
"soldering"?  The fortunate thing is that virtually all of it is IN the
joint and very little is exposed to the water.
   Joe