Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Aug 14, 2020

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PLEASE NOTE The U.S. EPA has set the lead action level to 15 parts per billion (ppb). This is when water utilities are required to take action to lower lead levels in their water. However, the maximum contaminant goal for lead in drinking water is 0. That’s because lead is too harmful to our health even at low concentrations as it can bioaccumulate in the body over time causing irreversible damage. In a nutshell, lead should be eliminated entirely if possible. This is something you should keep in mind when choosing a water filter. One model might be more expensive than another but therefore certified to remove 99.9% rather than 95.9% lead (this is only an example) – a small difference which may have a huge impact.

How to Remove Lead from Water By far the easiest way to remove lead from water is using a water filter. But first you should try to identify the contamination source and eliminate it if possible: Lead can enter our water systems via copper pipes and fixtures connected by corroding lead solder, or via pipes directly containing lead which applies in particular to homes built before 1986. Another adverse factor is acidic water with low mineral content that accelerates corrosion. Now, if you are on city water there usually isn’t much you can do. If you’re on private well water, though, have a licensed contractor check the well itself and the pump. If removing the lead source turns out to be too expensive or is simply not an option for any other reason, the CDC recommends flushing your water system before using any water for drinking and cooking. The longer the water has been sitting in the pipes, the more lead it’s likely to contain. So, if a particular tap hasn’t been used for six hours or more, let it run for 1-2 minutes or until the water is as cold as it gets. Obviously this wastes a lot of water so you might want to collect it for later use, for example in your garden. The CDC also advises against using hot tap water as it dissolves more lead than cold water. Lead Filtration Methods You want to play it safe and install a water filter in your home? These common filtration methods are suited for lead removal: Reverse osmosis purification – Reverse osmosis (RO) is considered one of the best methods to reduce lead in drinking water.

– is considered one of the best methods to reduce lead in drinking water. Activated carbon filters – Activated carbon uses adsorption to effectively remove lead among other heavy metals from water. However, not all activated carbon water filters are capable of removing lead sufficiently. What’s more, some get fed up quickly and lose portions of their removal capabilities after processing a certain amount of water.

– Activated carbon uses adsorption to effectively remove lead among other heavy metals from water. However, not all activated carbon water filters are capable of removing lead sufficiently. What’s more, some get fed up quickly and lose portions of their removal capabilities after processing a certain amount of water. KDF-55 filtration – When water filters through KDF-55 soluble lead is reduced to insoluble lead which is then electroplated onto the media surface. NSF International Standard 53 Certifications Definitely watch out for NSF 53 certifications for lead. NSF International is a not-for-profit organization that develops industry standards. Independent third-party testing agencies such as the Water Quality Association (WQA) or CSA certify specific products on the market to these standards. To get certified, a filtering solution must be able to reduce the amount of lead below the U.S. EPA action level of 15 ppb.

More on Lead Filtration How to Test Water for Lead Lead is colorless and odorless, and if traces of it are dissolved in water they are invisible to the naked eye. So if there’s lead in your tap water how can you find out about it? First of all, you can request a free water quality report, called Consumer Confidence Report, from your municipality. Water quality reports have to be released each year by July 1st. And all public water suppliers have to provide this report for free. The exception are private wells which the EPA does not regulate. Here it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain the safety of the water. Alternatively, you can access the EWG Tap Water Database which provides a browsable collection of water quality reports from almost all suppliers in the country. If you can’t get access to a Consumer Confidence Report, you can contact your local health department and ask for information. Since 1. and 2. don’t take into account possible lead contamination caused by the plumbing system leading water to and through your home, the safest way of identifying a problem is by having a direct sample tested by an independent lab. Cost range from $40 to $150. Your local water authority can help you find a suitable service provider. Or you purchase a test kit at the local hardware store and do the testing yourself. Heads Up! Lead does not distribute evenly in water. You could test your water right now and measure 2 ppb of lead. 5 minutes later you might find 10 ppb. And the next day you suddenly have 1,000 ppb. So even a direct test doesn’t guarantee lead-free water. Does Boiling Water Remove Lead? Does boiling water remove lead? That’s a frequently asked question. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. While boiling kills waterborne pathogens and eliminates volatile chemicals, lead does not evaporate easily and the heating process can actually further increase levels. Distillation on the other hand is a very effective method for removing lead from water. What’s Really Shocking USA Today identified about 2,000 water supply systems in all 50 U.S. states where tests showed severe lead contamination between the years 2013 and 2016. The Detroit Free Press stated that hundreds of major U.S. cities still have 100% lead piping connecting municipal water utilities to homes. And according to The Guardian , at least 33 U.S. cities have been found to use cheats to conceal dangerous levels of lead in their water.

If you have any questions about how to remove lead from water please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below! And don’t forget to come back to this page from time to time as we’re going to continue searching for the best water filter for lead removal.