Have you considered getting a lead water filter?
There are a number of simple options to remove lead from water. You’ve probably heard of the water crisis in Flint, MI, where high levels of lead were found in the water. But did you know that the drinking water of many cities across the U.S. could have high lead levels? We have recently heard that the town of Sebring, Ohio is facing a similar situation.
Just as in Flint, the problem with the Sebring municipal system is not with the source water itself, but it is the corrosion of the lead pipes that supply the water to thousand of homes that causes lead to leach out of the pipes and into the water.
Lead water supply lines are still in use today in countless communities across the US. Although Congress banned lead water pipes 30 years ago, estimates of remaining lead pipes range from 3.3 million to 10 million. These pipes can leach lead into tap water during repairs or a change in water chemistry. There are no solid numbers of these lead service lines because record keeping has been sketchy. Cities like Washington have tried to replace their lead pipes but found they couldn’t locate them all because the original maps had been lost. With millions of lead pipes still in place, the estimated number of people that could be drinking this water is somewhere between 74 million and 96 million people.
Typically, water is treated with phosphates or silicates which coat the inside of the pipes to prevent corrosion. Testing for lead is done periodically, but lead tests are only required every three years. Federal rules set a maximum level of 15 micrograms of lead per liter of tap water but medical experts say there is no known safe level of lead.
The scary part of the story is that even when cities have done testing and found high levels of lead in the water, they don’t make it known right away. In Sebring, it was August when the test samples had high lead readings. It was not until January that residents were informed of the situation. The residents were unknowingly drinking that water for months.
Makes you wonder what you don’t know about your own water.
Not all water filters can filter lead from water. Some advocates are calling for cities to replace all the lead service lines. This is a huge undertaking which could take decades and cost billions of dollars. As good as it sounds to replace all those lead lines there is a down side. The utility companies own the lines from the water treatment plant to the property line but the homeowner is responsible for the line from the street into the house. If the homeowner is unable to replace their portion of the line it may actually make the lead levels in the water higher due to the disturbance of the pipes that can shake loose the scale that has built up in the pipes.
If you are concerned about the quality of your water, waiting for the government to fix the problem is not a good option. And buying bottled water is expensive and inconvenient. WaterFiltersOfAmerica.com has some great lead water filter options that can give you clean water and peace of mind. Here’s what you can do:
GOOD (Under $200)
A Reverse Osmosis drinking water filter in the kitchen for all of your cooking and drinking water. This filter is simple to install and can be hooked up the the refrigerator for pure drinking water there as well. This does not address the rest of the household water, but will provide safe and tasty purified water that is as good or far better than bottled water. You can find them here: https://waterfiltersofamerica.com/reverse-osmosis/
BETTER: (Under $500)
A whole house carbon filter tank takes care of the whole house and greatly reduces lead in water. It automatically backwashes periodically to clean itself and send all that unwanted lead, chlorine and other contaminants down the drain and away from the home. Add this unit with a reverse osmosis drinking water filter in the kitchen for a truly wonderful change in your overall water quality and drinking water that is as good or far better than even drinking bottled water. See our whole house backwashing carbon tanks here: https://waterfiltersofamerica.com/carbon-tanks/
BEST: (Under $1200)
Our Dual Purpose Water Conditioner not only controls lead better than any other solution, it also softens the water for a cleaner home, softener skin and will also clean out your pipes and water lines over time saving you a fortune in plumbing repairs, hot water heaters and even lower the cost of heating your water for showers and other hot water household uses. The reason it is called Dual Purpose is that it has dual tanks (One stacked on top of the other) that clean and softener as well as removes unwanted contaminants and chemicals. The top tank has whole house carbon like the tank mentioned above, and the lower tank is a water softener. Water softeners are very efficient at removing lead from the water. It is always best to filter the water before softening and that is accomplished by the carbon tank above. Most home owners find this unit fairly easy to install themselves. Add a reverse osmosis drinking water filter in the kitchen for cooking and drinking water and you have the perfect system for clean, lead free luxurious water. Find them here: https://waterfiltersofamerica.com/premium-dual-purpose/
Please don’t hesitate to contact a friendly water tech at 800-684-0979 for a discussion of your situation and to determine exactly what you need and what it should cost. And don’t worry, our friendly water techs are never allowed to ask you to buy anything or pressure you in any way. They just care about you and give you great advice.
