Clean drinking water is the birthright of every child. The presence of lead in drinking water poses some severe health threats. So it is imperative to know how to remove lead from home water.
The presence of lead and other minerals in water is a common problem. It poses many health complications that make it necessary to remove the lead from your drinking water.
In this article, we will learn all about the environmental and health hazards that lead may cause in drinking water. We will also look at how to remove lead from water.
Before we dig deep let’s learn some basics about how lead enters into the water and how it can affect us.
How Lead Goes into Water
The lead goes into the water through the basic plumbing material. It can be the old pipes, the faucets, or other plumbing fixtures that may corrode with time. Especially in areas where water has a high acidic level, low mineral contents corrode the pipes or faucets.
The most significant sources of lead in water are lead pipes, especially in homes with old fittings or pipelines. It is more present in older cities, towns, or areas with pipelines as old as the 1980s.
These pipes corrode with time, and the common problem are brass and chrome-plated pipes. The significant amount of lead enters into the water, leaving it contaminated.
How much lead is allowed into the water
According to the SDWA(Safe Drinking Water Association), the maximum allowable lead content is 0.25% calculated across the wetted surface of pipes, pipe fittings, faucets, and plumbing fitting. It is .2% for solder and flux.
What is Corrosion
Corrosion is the dissolving of metal when it comes in contact with water. It’s a chemical reaction that gets more severe when water is acidic or has a high ph level.
Here are a few ways that effect water with corrosion.
- Water has low mineral content.
- Water has a high acidic level.
- The time water stays in the pipes.
- The amount of water in the pipes.
- The presence of a protective layer inside the pipes that prevents corrosion.
So water can be effected inside the pipes and the water coming out of faucet may have higher than the recommended amount of lead in water.
Health Effects of Lead in Water
The presence of lead in water may lead to certain environmental and health issues.
Lead in water can be harmful to human health, and therefore its presence in your drinking water should be zero. It’s a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even in low quantity.
Lead is a persistent metal that bio-accumulates in our body. It builds up in our body over time and may cause some long-term health complications.
Let’s see lead affects the overall our health and growth.
Children
Children or infants are particularly vulnerable to lead. The presence of lead, even slight, may lead to many behavioral and physical effects on children. Lead cannot enter into the body through the skin; that’s why it is safe to be used the water with lead for washing or bathing.
In children, low levels of lead in water can damage their central or peripheral nervous system. It can lead to
- Learning disabilities.
- Low IQ level.
- Learning disabilities.
- Impaired function and formation of blood cells.
- Slowed growth.
In rare cases, where a high amount of lead enters into the blood, it may lead to coma, seizures, or instant death.
Infants
Lead in drinking water is particularly very dangerous for pregnant women or infants. Especially those on formula feed, where water containing lead is used for milk preparation, are at some serious risk of certain health and growth issues.
Adults
Lead or other impurities in drinking water are equally dangerous. It can lead to cardiovascular effects like increased blood pressure, decreased kidney function, and reproductive problems.
How Do you Know if There is Lead in Water
As we see, the presence of lead in drinking water can lead to several health complications in both children and adults. That makes it important to know if the water you are consuming daily is good enough or has been contaminated.
Especially people living in old housed, built before 1963 may still have:
- Lead Pipes: Lead pipes look grey. On scratching, it reveals an underlying shiny metal. So if you have lead pipes at home, the water may contain lead in drinking water as well.
- Lead Solder: In copper pipes, the connecting solders are usually made of lead. That may cause contamination in water as well.
- Old Service lines: Cities with old pipelines may bring contaminated water into your taps.
How to Test Your Home for Lead Water
The first step to deal with the lead in your home water is to test it and determine how much lead or other contamination it has.
Testing your home water may seem problematic, but it is the only way to ensure the safety of your family. There are several ways water can be tested for lead removal.
Home Test kits
There are kits available in the market that will test your water sample and gives you an instant and detailed review of the presence of any contamination in your home water. You can take some necessary steps afterward for removing lead from water.
Some of these kits are designed to give you instant results, and others may require you to collect the samples in their secure vessels and to send them to an EPA certified lab for testing. These labs test the water, and you can get an online report of your sample that clearly states the presence and amount of any impurities. They may also recommend the necessary steps you should take to ensure the purity of water.
Special Labs Of Your City
In some cities, there are special labs that volunteer to test your water to see if it has some contaminations or not. You can send the sample to such a lab but make sure EPA certifies it.
Filter companies
Some filter companies also provide you with the services. They also test the samples of your home water and send their recommendations.
But beware these companies are out there for business. What they really want in the end is for you to buy their filters. So make sure you send to only reliable brands if you are choosing such a company to test your water.
Best Instant Home Test Kits
Here we have recommended two such kits that will help you to test the quality of water conveniently.
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1 Safe Home Lead in Drinking Water Test Kit
Safe Home Drinking water kits are designed to test your drinking water for 100% lead. You can test the water with three easy steps to know if it is safe for your family or not.
The kit comes with two lead tests that detect the presence of lead in faucets and plumbing features.
You don’t have to bear any additional charges of shipping the samples at all. Safe Home’s EPA certified laboratory testing provides you with the accuracy that confirms if your water exceeds the Federal Maximum Contamination. The test report will not only tell the exact amount of lead in the sampled water, but it will also recommend the exact numerical value and condition of safety for each drinking water sample.
The Safe Home kit comes with a DIY Bacteria in Water Test as well. The test helps you to see if the drinking water at home is free of any bacteria or not. You can conduct this test at home with convenience.
The process of water Testing is simple and hassle-free. The kit contains the set of vessels for sending water samples. Simply collect the water and ship it to the laboratory for comprehensive testing. You can view the test results of your sample on the internet conveniently.
The testing process includes a Prescreening test and confirmation tests.
Pros
Includes two lead test vessels.
It comes with a DIY Bacteria Test.
Thought testing of samples.
Recommendations for safety.
Reliable Laboratory tests.
Cons
Have to ship the samples to the laboratory.
Also Read: How To Remove Iron From Your Water
2 Lead Iron Copper and Mercury – Home Water Test Kit
If you want a complete water test kit that provides results instantly at home, it’s a quick and easy method to find the unsafe levels of four very common heavy metals in water.
The testing process does not require sending the sample to a laboratory that is not only a long process. All you have to do is to follow some simple instructions, and you can get results in 15 minutes that is both convenient and hassle-free.
The testing process gives a detailed overview of the presence of metal in water. It not only gives a cumulative sum, but you can detect the metals individually. You would know the exact amount of each metal by name.
The kit includes one lead test, two mercury tests, two copper tests, and two iron tests. It completely covers your needs.
The test gives measurements in fine increments so that you better have an idea of the presence of metals. The Kit is completely calibrated with the EPA standards, so you don’t have to worry about the accuracy of the results.
Pros
Home testing process.
EPA Calibrated Testing kit.
Gives the result of individual metals.
Fast and easy.
Cons
May not be as accurate as laboratory tests.
3 Scitus Lead Test Kit with 30 Testing Swabs
Here is an instant Lead testing kit that will determine the presence of lead in your home water instantly.
The easy to use test kit comes with a simple method. It includes lead detector swabs that will test the presence of lead in water.
All you need to do is to follow some simple steps. Dip the swabs in vinegar and wait for the yellow color to appear. Next rub the vinegar dipped swabs in the water sample and wait for it to change color. If the swabs turn red, violet, or purple, there are chances of lead present in your home water.
The kit comes with 30 testing swabs. The method is budget-friendly. It is designed to be easy and convenient for users.
Pros
Easy and convenient way.
Cost-effective.
Instant results.
It comes with 30 swabs.
Disposable swabs.
Cons
Bit messy method of testing.
Also Read: Best Salt for Water Softener by Consumer Reports
What to Do If Test Shows Lead in Water
Testing is the only way to determine the purity and freshness of your home water. Whether you use home kits or send the water sample to any water testing authority if the results show the presence of lead and other contamination in water then its time to take some immediate steps.
How to filter Lead Out of your Water
You can choose a lead water filter for this purpose.
Water Filter
Water filters are the best way to get rid of lead or any other contamination in your home water. Not only it ensures the purity of water, but the technologically advanced filters give an excellent taste to water maintaining the right balance of minerals.
But not any filter would work. For lead, you need to choose a water filter that is certified to remove lead from the water. You need to choose a filter that reduces lead at least 99%.
Types of Water Filters
Here are a few types of water filters.
Gravity Filters: These are countertop filters and come with a stainless steel body. These filters store water and remove lead and other impurities.
They use carbon filters that remove lead from water. These are bulky devices and also offer a limited amount of water for use. These are excellent for places when there is no potable water.
Reverse Osmosis System
These are excellent for removing lead and other contamination from water. The system is installed at the kitchen tap, and some units sit under or above the sink. These filters use a reverse osmosis system for removing the contamination.
What is a Reverse Osmosis System?
Reverse Osmosis is a simple way of removing contamination, especially lead from water. The process of filtration requires the water to pass through a semipermeable membrane that traps the contamination. Water passes through this membrane with pressure, and thus, impurities are trapped and removed from the water. The impurities are drained out of the water and flushed down the drain.
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How to Choose the Best Filter for Removing Lead from Water
Here are a few ways to consider while buying a water filter for your home.
Certified Filter: Look for the NSF certified filter. Most of reverse osmosis filter system is capable of removing impurities including lead, but you need to be sure of whether it is certified to do so.
Small unit: You don’t have to buy a bulky device that covers space under your sink. There are many modern filters available that save space.
The flow of Water: Make sure the water filter you choose offers great flow and caters to the needs of your family.
Budget: Both expensive and budget-friendly options are available. Look for the one that provides the maximum flow and still stays in budget.
Best Water Filters for Lead Removal
If you are concerned about removing lead from your home water, you should choose a good quality water filter that is specifically designed to remove lead or other contaminations from water.
Here we have made the selection easier by handpicking some of the best water filters in the market. These filters are compact devices that do 8not require much space and fits above or below your kitchen sink, providing an unlimited supply of fresh and pure water.
4 iSpring RCC7AK Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System
This one is by far the best water Filters For Lead Removal By Consumer Report.
iSpring presents a complete home filer system to ensure your loved ones get clean drinking water. The filter presents six stages complete remineralization filter that not only remove the pollutants and metal from water but remineralize it was well.
The healthy balance of alkaline in water gives it a better taste. The system uses natural mineral stones as filtration media and never sacrifice the quality for quantity.
It’s a multi-layered filtration system that provides you protection against 1,000 different types of contaminations including arsenic, mercury, metal, fluoride, viruses, asbestos, lead, hormones, and much more.
Its Reverse Osmosis system reduces the contaminations down to 0.001 microns.
The filter provides a fine GAC filter that provides fine polishing before the purified water is delivered from the faucet.
The end result of the whole process of filtration and remineralization is clean and purified water with a great taste.
The filtration unit comes with all the necessary in fact, spare fittings, and o-rings. The installation process is simple, with its push to connect fittings and color coordinating tubing. You can install the system yourself without needing any special plumbing abilities.
Pros
Six stage filtration system.
Re-mineralize the water.
Easy to install.
Purified and tasty water.
It requires less maintenance.
Cons
This filtration system is a bit pricey.
5 NU Aqua Platinum Series Deluxe Purifier Drinking Water Filter System
This one is a premium quality aqua filter that provides fresh and healthy water for your family. The easy to install filer system comes at a very budget-friendly price.
It’s a space-saving unit that sits conveniently under your sink. It gives 5 stages of filtration process that remove any harmful metal and solid from your water.
Whether you want to improve the quality of drinking water or looking for a great taste, the RO system will give you 100 gallons of pure, odorless, contamination-free water.
The NU Aqua Platinum filter offers a reverse osmosis system that utilizes the Hydracoil Technology for up to 50% cleaner water than other comparable systems. The technology gives you a higher absorption rate.
With its efficient system, it produces about 100 gallons of water with the flow rate of 100GDP daily. That is enough clean water for any household of six-person.
The system has gone through rigorous testing before coming to you don’t have to face problems like leak, pressure, long cycle, or water quality.
Pros
Cost-effective unit.
5-stages filtration program.
Great flow rate.
Lasting water filtration.
Gone through rigorous testing.
Cons
Installation takes some time.
6 APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Ultra Safe Water Filter System
APEC water filter system provides an unlimited supply of ultra-fresh, clear, and great tasting water for your family.
It’s a heavy-duty, long-lasting filter that comes with the finest engineering and assembly.
Its super-efficient carbon blockers are uniquely designed to remove maximum possible chlorine and other chemicals from the water.
The unit offers a leak-proof fitting. With its stainless steel teeth gives guaranteed to grip and O-rings provide a leak-proof seal.
The filter removes contaminations like arsenic, lead, chromium, copper, fluoride, radium, barium, and many more.
Not only it removes the impurities, but it enhance the taste water. The premium quality filter provides an excellent refreshing taste that makes it distinctive among other brands.
The system will provide about 50 gallons of fresh and pure water, with 99% of contamination removed in water.
The RO system is easy to install. Step by step, online videos are provided that help you install the filter system yourself.
The reliable filter system comes with two years of manufacturer’s guarantee that keeps you free from any worries for long. The water quality is far superior to the bottles of fresh water in the market.
Pros
Supreme quality filter.
Budget-friendly unit.
Removes 99% of impurities.
Easy to install the system.
Leakproof unit.
Cons
Not much reliable.
Final Thoughts
Freshwater is essential for the health and hygiene of your family. The presence of lead and other contaminations may lead to severe health complications. It can be very dangerous for the health of growing children. So make sure you test the water at home and take some necessary steps to make it pure for your loved ones.
Water filters make the water at home fresh and pure. But you have to be careful while selecting one. Make sure you select a filtration system that is certified and have gone through a rigorous testing process before it comes to you.
