Lead is a toxic metal that can enter drinking water through various sources, including lead service lines, lead solder, and brass or chrome-plated faucets and fixtures. Exposure to lead can cause a range of health effects, especially in children, including

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) of zero for lead in drinking water, meaning that there is no safe level of lead exposure. Public water systems are required to monitor for lead and take action if levels exceed the action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb). However, lead can also be present in private wells and homes, and homeowners are responsible for testing their own water and taking action if lead levels are high.

Treatment options for lead in drinking water include point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) systems that are certified to remove lead. POU systems, such as faucet-mounted filters or pitcher filters, are designed to treat water at a single tap, while POE systems, such as whole-house filters or reverse osmosis systems, treat all the water entering a home. It is important to choose a treatment system that is certified by a third-party organization, such as the Water Quality Association (WQA), to ensure that it is effective at removing lead.