I actually looked this up a couple of years ago. I found this - an ABC news report of a Consumer Reports finding. Briefly, it says that some hoses have a bit of lead in them. If they sit full of water in the hot sun, the lead can seep into the hose. And other hoses don't do this. Look for hoses that indicate they can be used for drinking (potable water). However, just running fresh water through the hose is sufficient to clear it of any nasty stuff. So Ash is right to get to know her hose intimately...
Garden Hose Danger
CONSUMER NEWS — Can your garden hose be harmful to your health? Before you turn on the hose, you may want to check the label.
Consumer Reports
Most of us don't think of garden hoses as dangerous, but they may contain lead that can be harmful, especially to young children because it can damage a developing brain.
On a hot summer day, little ones love to take a drink from the hose. This water is fine. But there can be dangerously high levels of lead in water that sits in a hose for a while. Consumer Reports says the problem is that many hoses are made of polyvinyl chloride, which uses lead as a stabilizer.
Consumer Reports spokesperson Jim Nanni says, "That lead can leach into the water. Some hoses carry warnings -'This hose is not for drinking water use.' And some say, 'Do not drink from this hose.'"
According to Nanni, there are some hoses that are labeled "drinking water safe."
In all Consumer Reports checked 16 different hoses to see how much lead could leach into the water. Testers cut off two-foot sections. The hose sections were filled with water and plugged. Then they went into an oven overnight - to simulate a day out in the hot sun. Afterwards chemists analyzed the water. Some had very high levels of lead.
"In some of these hoses we measured 10 to 100 times more lead than the government considers safe coming a faucet," said Nanni.
However, the hoses that were labeled safe to drink lived up to their claim, leaching only minuscule amounts of lead.
To be safe, Consumer Reports says before you drink from a hose, let it run for a minute or so. That will flush out any water that could have been contaminated by lead
You can find hoses that are labeled safe for drinking at home centers such as Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal-Mart.