Their food was prepared in leadware and that probably was a much bigger factor than water pipes. The following snippet is more to the point:
"The ancient Romans used lead for making water pipes, cooking utensils, water tanks and storage vessels. Lead water pipes were used in most major cities in the empire. Wine was cheap in ancient Rome and Athens and it was contaminated with lead from as many as 14 sources during its preparation. Lead was used as part of the preservative and as a flavor enhancer."
No wonder Romans became as mad as hatters! LOL. What period of Roman history was lead commonly put in food as a flavor enhancer?