Lead in Drinking Water in the U.S.: Facts You Should Know

Humans cannot survive without water. For a long time, lead-contaminated water has been known to impact human health adversely. Unfortunately, this contaminant is a leading cause of the water crisis in the United States.

Before supplying water to households, water utilities test drinking water for lead. And if the lead level exceeds 15 parts per billion (ppb) in over 10% of homes with the supplied water, necessary action is taken to reduce the presence of the contaminant.

For better water safety, the acceptable lead level in water has been reduced from 15 ppb to 5 ppb, especially for water supplied to schools and licensed child care facilities. Furthermore, lead testing is mandatory before water is supplied to these facilities.

Lead causes fatal effects in humans. It accumulates in the body after ingestion, causing various health complications, including increased cancer risk, developmental issues, and damage to the nervous and reproductive system. Lead accumulation in the body may also increase blood pressure and anemia and, in severe cases, may result in death. Unfortunately, the effects of lead poisoning are permanent.

Although there are regulations to minimize lead levels in the water, there is no safe level of lead exposure. Unfortunately, about 40 million Americans are exposed to lead-contaminated drinking water at unsafe levels.

Click to learn more about Protect Children from Lead Exposure in Drinking Water.

Lead is a natural and human-formed substance. Historically, this substance was used in drinking water distribution systems, paints, and as an additive in gasoline. But, there have been significant lead reductions in gasoline and paint products. Consequently, food and drinking water are the primary lead-exposure sources for average adult populations.

Fortunately, several treatment technologies efficiently remove lead at a water treatment plant. However, municipal treatment is not all that effective in removing lead. The materials used in the distribution and plumbing system include service lines, solder, and fittings, and these materials may contain lead. Eventually, the lead leaches into tap water through corrosion.

The best approach to minimizing lead exposure from drinking water is to control corrosion in the water distribution and treatment systems at the municipal level. Investing in a whole-house water filtration system is the best approach at the house level.

Unfortunately, boiling does not remove lead in water. Instead, the evaporation process further concentrates the presence of the contaminant. When using water for cooking or drinking, ensure it comes from the cold water tap instead of the hot water tap. Heated water in pipes further increases the release of lead into the water.

Furthermore, if you have not used the water from the pipe in hours, run the cold water for about a minute or two to flush out the stagnant water before drinking or using it for cooking.

Using a reverse osmosis (RO) system in your kitchen is one of the most effective ways to remove lead from the source water. This system eliminates contaminants, including lead, at the point of use in your house.

A RO system removes the vast majority of lead particulates in water, making it safe for drinking and cooking in your home. In addition, the system filters out several water contaminants, leaving you with pure and great-tasting water.

The Waterdrop G3 RO system is an undersink system from Waterdrop with multiple certifications, proving that the system consists of lead-free materials to ensure the safety of both the user and the filtered water. Furthermore, the Waterdrop G3 RO system has successfully passed over 400 chemical lab tests, making it the right candidate for safe and healthy water.

The G3 undersink RO system is different from conventional RO systems. The system is efficient and produces three times less wastewater, helping you save money on water bills.

The Waterdrop G3 RO system has a design that runs the filtration process on request. Therefore, you will have to wait only 12 seconds to fill your cup. Furthermore, the machine has a fast water flow, efficiently delivering 400 gallons of water daily.

The Waterdrop G3 RO system delivers as expected. In addition, the machine has passed International Certification tests against the NSF/ANSI standards.

The Waterdrop G3 Ro system comes with a kit containing six filters. These filters include one RO filter, two CB filters, and 3 CF filters. This kit can serve you for two years, saving you money and time.

Homeowners looking to get a reliable source of RO water in their homes can also purchase the Waterdrop 800GPD RO system. This system is an upgrade and improvement to the Waterdrop G3. Consequently, the machine efficiently meets small businesses’ and households’ water needs.

Furthermore, thanks to the advanced filtration technology, you can enjoy pure and good-tasting water. You can also save 12 times more water courtesy of the system’s inbuilt water-saving technology.

The Waterdrop 800GPD has a three-stage filtration process which is efficient. The filter setup combines with a water scale inhibitor, removing impurities and keeping scales away from your water appliances. Furthermore, the system has an improved seven-layer RO system for effectively reducing water contaminants, including heavy metals and chlorine.

The RO system has an advanced LED chip, ensuring the removal of viruses and bacteria in the source water up to 99.9%. The chip turns on when water passes through and turns off when there is no passage of water. This mechanism consequently helps to save energy.

The Waterdrop 800GPD RO system efficiently saves water with a 3:1 drain ratio. Consequently, with this system, you can contribute to keeping the earth safe while lowering your water bill.

This RO water filter system has an ultra-large filtration capacity of 800 gallons per day. Therefore, it can adequately meet the needs of a small business or large household. Furthermore, the system fills a cup in just six seconds. So, you don’t have to wait to get pure water.

The tankless RO system has a compact design, requiring only a little installation space. Consequently, you are not sacrificing all your undersink space. Furthermore, installing and replacing the system and its components is quite straightforward.

Even after 30 years of being banned, lead pipes still carry water into millions of homes across the United States. These pipes are tucked underground, and they are more like relics of time past to most Americans. However, drinking lead-free water is essential for anyone. Drinking any level of lead in water can harm you and your family.