How to Remove Lead from Drinking Water

Lead contamination is a growing concern throughout the nation and how lead can be removed from drinking water is a question we’re often asked.

Since the incident in Flint, Michigan brought the national spotlight on lead, a number of other cities have since found excessive levels of lead contamination in their water supplies.

USA Today reports they have, “Identified almost 2,000 additional water systems spanning all 50 states where testing has shown excessive levels of lead contamination over the past four years. The water systems, which reported lead levels exceeding Environmental Protection Agency standards, collectively supply water to 6 million people.”

Why is Lead Dangerous?

Lead exposure can pose a serious health threat. In fact, lead contamination has been linked to the following issues in children:

• Behavior problems
• Impair brain development
• Heighten attention disorders
• Reduce IQ
• Delay physical development

Why is Lead in Our Drinking Water?

Lead is a natural element found in the earth’s crust and thus can be found in our water, air,

and soil.  And before the dangers of lead were understood, lead was commonly used in paint, pipes batteries, ceramics and even cosmetics. Thus, the potential exposure to lead is all around us.

When we’re talking about water being contaminated with excessive lead levels, this is generally from lead in the soil or from lead pipes. Even though pipes are generally made of copper rather than lead today, many of the pipes that carry water to our homes are still lead because the infrastructure is in place and removing it would be costly and time consuming.

How to Protect Your Household from the Dangers of Lead

Lead contamination can pose a serious health risk when ingested or inhaled. It is especially dangerous for children, seniors and pregnant women. There are a few specific ways to reduce the risk of lead contamination.

Water Sitting in Pipes.

When you’re away from home for several hours, it’s a good idea to flush the water when you return. The longer water sits in pipes, the more lead it may contain. So run the tap for a couple of minutes, flush the toilet or take a shower (skin does not absorb lead in water so you’re OK to shower).

Hot vs. Cold Water.

For drinking water, it’s best to get water from the “cold” side of your tap. Because water temps play a role in how corrosive water can be, pull from the cold faucet and then heat up the water for that baby bottle or cup of cocoa.

Install a Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

For a long-term solution that will ensure your household is protected from the dangers of lead contamination 24/7, installing a reverse osmosis water filtration is a possibly the best method. Reverse osmosis is widely considered to be the most thorough and cost-effective way to remove lead from drinking water since an RO system can effectively remove up to 98% of lead from water.

How Does Reverse Osmosis Remove Lead

Reverse osmosis uses household water pressure to push water through a series of filters. The RO membrane can filter out impurities such as lead, arsenic, nickel, nitrates and dozens of other contaminants. These impurities that are trapped by the fine RO membranes are flushed away, leaving delicious, clean drinking water. 

WaterTech’s RO PureMAX II Reverse Osmosis drinking water unit is a four-stage filtration system that is:

Cost effective: produces ultra clean water for approximately $0.25 per day.

Environmentally friendly: Eliminate the need to purchase water bottles that will eventually end up in the landfill.

Improves taste and reduces odor: by removing total dissolved solids, chlorine and other impurities, your drinks, ice, and everything you cook will consistently taste better.

Saves money: With great-tasting water at your tap, your household will most likely drink more water and less sugary beverages.

Top quality: the RO PUREMAX II water purifier ensures advanced water quality compared to faucet filters and pour-through pitchers.

WaterTech water filtration and purification systems are sold exclusively through authorized and trained water treatment specialists throughout the U.S. Locate an authorized dealership near you.