How to choose a water filter that removes lead
Which filters actually remove lead from tap water, what the box has to say, and what to do until you have one.
Which filters actually remove lead from tap water, what the box has to say, and what to do until you have one.
Look for a filter certified to remove lead. The box or the listing must say it removes lead, and next to that you'll see the official code NSF/ANSI 53. Jug filters, tap-mounted filters and under-sink filters can all qualify; what matters is the certification, not the type or the price. A filter that only says it improves taste or removes chlorine does not remove lead.
Use it for every glass of water, for cooking, and for baby formula. Change the cartridge as often as the box says: an old cartridge stops working without any sign.
Until you have one, use cold tap water only, because hot water picks up more lead from pipes. If the water has sat in the pipes for hours, like first thing in the morning, run the cold tap for about two minutes first. Don't boil water to make it safer: boiling doesn't remove lead, and it makes the lead that's there more concentrated.
Source: US Environmental Protection Agency guidance on lead in drinking water.