Lead water filters are a must-have especially for homes with old plumbing setup. The best lead filters typically remove 90 – 99% of lead in water, depending on the product's brand and model.
Our top recommendation, the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher, reduces 99.3% of lead in water, as well as many other water contaminants. Other options like the Springwell Whole House Lead Filter and Epic Smart Shield also reduces lead by >99%, although they cost significantly more than the clearly filtered.
In this article, we'll examine 5 lead water filters across different use-cases and filtration technology.
- Filtration technology: Affinity Filtration
- Filter type: Water filter pitcher
- Lead reduction rate: Minimum of 99.3%
- The number of reduced contaminants: 365+
- Filtered Water Capacity: 100 gallons
- NSF 53 certification: Certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Filtration technology: 0-5-micron filtration and adsorbent media
- Filter type: Whole house water filter
- Lead reduction rate: Minimum of 99%
- The number of reduced contaminants: Not provided by the manufacturer
- Filtration capacity: 100,000 gallons
- NSF 53 certification: Not certified
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty
- Filtration technology: Proprietary blend of different filtration media
- Filter type: Under-the-sink unit
- Lead reduction rate: Minimum of 99.3%
- The number of reduced contaminants: 70+
- Filtration capacity: 651 gallons
- NSF 53 certification: Certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
1. Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher for Lead
- Filtration technology: Affinity Filtration
- Filter type: Water filter pitcher
- Lead reduction rate: Minimum of 99.3%
- The number of reduced contaminants: 365+
- Filtered Water Capacity: 100 gallons
- NSF 53 certification: Certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
We think the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is the best product in its category in many aspects, and based on the customer feedback we received, it’s one of the most trusted water pitchers on the market. One of the main reasons for its stellar reputation is its remarkable effectiveness against dangerous contaminants like lead. If you’re looking for a system to remove lead from your water without the hassle of installation, then we think you’ll really like this product.
That being said, the unit is one of the most expensive water pitchers you’ll encounter. Its replacement filters aren’t cheap either, but we assure you the performance you’ll get from it is worth it.
NSF Certified
The Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher comes with an impressive performance datasheet holding all the relevant NSF certifications: 42, 53 (the specific certification applying to lead claims), 401 & 473. In addition, its datasheet shows it reduces lead in water by at least 99.3%, along with 365+ other contaminants.
Affinity Filtration Technology
Its ability to reduce a high number of contaminants, including lead, is down to the filter’s unique Affinity Filtration technology. This technology blends many different filtration media in one single cartridge.
The Clearly Filtered engineers placed all these filtration media inside the cartridge to form a path full of twists and turns for the incoming water. This ensures that contaminant molecules like lead come into contact with at least one of the filtration media on their way.
In addition, the walls of the path contain adsorptive media that targets and traps heavy metals with an ionic structure. As lead has an ionic structure, the adsorption technique of the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher traps its molecules successfully.
Retains Beneficial Minerals
Besides its efficiency in removing lead and many other impurities, the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher doesn’t remove healthy minerals from the water, unlike most reverse osmosis (RO) systems. This means you still get beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium in your drinking water.
On the other hand, some reverse osmosis systems remove these minerals during the contaminant removal process, meaning the water they provide isn’t as healthy.
Pros:
- The twisted structure of the Affinity Filtration tech helps the system remove 99.3% of lead
- Adsorptive media attracts and traps lead ions with great success
- Reduces 365+ other contaminants, which makes it ideal for many types of contaminated water
- Doesn’t reduce healthy minerals like some reverse osmosis systems do
- Long-lasting filter which saves you money over time
- NSF-certified for lead removal
- Made in the USA, so it’s easy to source parts for repairs and replacements
- Lifetime warranty, which means you don’t need to pay out for repairs
Cons:
- Expensive for a water pitcher compared to other pitchers we’ve tested
- Its replacement filters are costly, too
2. SpringWell Whole-House Water Filter for Lead
- Filtration technology: 0-5-micron filtration and adsorbent media
- Filter type: Whole house water filter
- Lead reduction rate: Minimum of 99%
- The number of reduced contaminants: Not provided by the manufacturer
- Filtration capacity: 100,000 gallons
- NSF 53 certification: Not certified
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty
If you want to treat the water at all the faucets within your home, you’ll need a whole-house solution, and we think the SpringWell Whole House Lead & Cyst Filtration System is your best choice.
When it comes to whole-house water treatment equipment, SpringWell is the most reliable brand in the United States. Its whole-house lead and cyst filtration system is not an exception to that rule, as it removes both particulate lead (a visible form of lead that looks like sediment to most) and soluble lead (an invisible form of lead) with great success, thanks to its innovative technology.
More often than not, SpringWell’s whole-house ensembles have industry-leading flow rate options. So, we were a bit disappointed with the 8 GPM flow rate of SpringWell’s lead unit, but it’s still an excellent number for 1-3 bathroom households.
Advanced Filtration
Its lead removal technology includes a 0.5-micron nominal filter that blocks lead particles and its adsorbent media targets the ions of soluble lead. The latter plays a significant role in the efficiency of the SpringWell unit by binding ionic lead in long-lasting bonds.
In addition to lead and cysts (parasites like giardia and cryptosporidium), the SpringWell model successfully handles dangerous chemicals such as PFOA and PFAS.
Electronic System Head
In the same vein as other SpringWell products, this system features an electronic system head. It notifies the user digitally when it’s time to replace the filter.
We’ve tested plenty of systems that don’t have this type of tech and, to be honest, we found it really frustrating. Without an interface that tells you when the filters need to be replaced, you just have to judge it yourself by testing the quality of the water. Thankfully, we didn’t experience this issue with the SpringWell Whole House Lead & Cyst Filtration System, which is one of the reasons it earned such a high place on our list.
Long-Lasting Filters
The unit has a pretty amazing filtration capacity of 100,000 gallons. To put that into perspective, the Waterdrop G3P800 has a filtration capacity of 2,900 gallons, which is the second-highest capacity on our list.
This means a household with four people should be able to use this system for a whole year before the filters need to be replaced. In smaller households, they’ll need to be replaced even less. The money you save on filter replacements should slightly offset the high initial cost of the unit. Plus, the longevity of the filters means this system requires very little maintenance.
3. Epic Smart Shield
- Filtration technology: Proprietary blend of different filtration media
- Filter type: Under-the-sink unit
- Lead reduction rate: Minimum of 99.3%
- The number of reduced contaminants: 70+
- Filtration capacity: 651 gallons
- NSF 53 certification: Certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
The Epic Smart Shield is a compact yet highly effective unit that’s easy to install under your kitchen sink.
It’s more affordable than most reverse osmosis systems, eco-friendly, and most importantly, it shares the same lead removal capability with the best reverse osmosis systems on the market: at least 99.3%.
Key Features:
- Effective filtration: In a similar way to the Affinity Filtration of the Clearly Filtered unit, the Epic Smart Shield uses a proprietary blend of different water treatment techniques in a single cartridge setup. Even though the manufacturer only mentions the activated carbon coconut block media, it’s fair to assume that the blend also employs adsorptive media for lead removal since activated carbon isn’t enough to reach such high numbers.
- NSF certified: Like the two products we have reviewed so far, an independent lab has confirmed this tiny device is in line with NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53 & 401. It has also provided a performance data sheet that supports the manufacturer's lead removal claims.
- Eco-friendliness: You’ll be happy to hear that the Epic Smart Shield doesn’t waste water. Even better, it’s made from sustainable and recyclable materials, and the manufacturer runs its own recycling program to reduce waste.
4. AquaTRU Countertop RO System
- Filtration technology: Reverse Osmosis
- Filter type: Countertop RO system
- Lead reduction rate: 99%
- The number of reduced contaminants: 82
- Filtration capacity: Around 1,300 gallons
- NSF 53 certification: Certified
- Warranty: One year
The AquaTRU Countertop RO System is one of the most efficient countertop units we’ve ever tested when it comes to removing lead. Plus, if you don’t want to spend time installing a system in your home, you’ll love the fact that this unit requires no installation at all. When we tested it, we simply placed it on the countertop, poured in some water, and had a gallon of filtered water within 10 minutes—it’s that easy!
Key Features:
- 4-Stage RO filtration tech: To remove lead and other contaminants, this system uses patented 4-Stage Ultra Reverse Osmosis Technology. First, large particles are removed by a pre-filter before chlorine is removed by the carbon filter. Then, the water passes through the reverse osmosis filter, which is how the lead is removed. Finally, a VOC carbon filter removes organic compounds.
- Digital display: If you’ve read any of our other reviews, you’ll know how much we value systems with digital interfaces—and this AquaTRU unit doesn’t disappoint. The display gave us alerts when the time for filter replacements was approaching. So, we were able to order new ones in preparation.
- Filtration capacity: We’re quite impressed by the fact the filters have a 1,300-gallon capacity. Although this pales in comparison to the SpringWell model, it’s pretty good for a countertop model and is much higher than the Clearly Filtered unit’s capacity.
5. Waterdrop G3P800
- Filtration technology: 7 stages, including a scale inhibitor, an RO membrane, and a UV sterilizer
- Filter type: Under-sink model
- Lead reduction rate: Up to 99.9%
- Filtration capacity: 2,900 gallons
- NSF 53 certification: No
- Warranty: 1 year
The Waterdrop G3P800 is a tankless RO system that includes a UV sterilizing light. One of the reasons we really like UV sterilizers is that they effectively remove contaminants without the need for any chemicals like chlorine. This means that no chemical by-products are released into the environment and the unit tends to produce water with a better taste than water that’s treated with chemicals.
The fact that the system is tankless means it’s easy to install and doesn’t take up much space under your sink. So, if you want a compact lead removal model that doesn’t compromise quality, we’d highly recommend this unit.
Key Features:
- 9-stage filtration process: Its advanced filtration system includes a carbon filter, RO filter, and the UV sterilizer we mentioned. So, it doesn’t just remove lead. It’s also really good at removing other contaminants like arsenic, chromium 6, nitrates, and uranium
- Remineralization: As we discussed earlier, the main downside of RO systems is that they remove beneficial minerals from water along with contaminants. That’s why we were really pleased to see that this system includes a remineralization filter that restores these healthy minerals
- Versatility: The UV sterilizer means that it can be used with almost any water supply including well water and city water
- Digital display: Like the AquaTRU system, this unit features a digital display that tells you when you need to replace your filters. Plus, it also gives you updates on your water quality which is a really nice addition
Pros:
- It has a high flow rate of 800 gallons per day (GPD) and it can fill a cup with filtered water in only 6 seconds
- Its wastewater ratio of 3 cups of pure water to 1 cup of wasted water makes it a more eco-friendly option than other more wasteful models
- It has an impressive 9-stage filtration process, which allows it to remove up to 99.9% of lead
- It includes a UV sterilizer light, which makes it even more effective at removing lead
- Comes with filter life indicators and it also alerts you if there are any malfunctions
- Although it isn’t NSF-certified for standard 53, it is certified for standard 58
- The filters have a push-and-twist mechanism, so they’re really easy to replace
Cons:
- It isn’t NSF-certified to standard 53
- The 1-year warranty is very short when compared to the lifetime warranties of the Clearly Filtered, SpringWell, and Epic units
Popular Questions About Lead Filtration
How does lead contaminate my water?
Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal that may end up in your water due to natural causes. These include:
Surface water runoff: Rainwater picks up lead from the environment, which seeps through underground water sources or flows to surface water (like dams, lakes, and rivers) over time.
Aquifer in a lead-rich environment: Aquifers are underground water reservoirs that form over millennia. These reservoirs sit on top of soil or rocks. As some soil and rocks naturally contain lead, your water will also likely have lead if you dig a well on top of such aquifers.
However, this only applies to you if you depend on a private well for your water supply. Municipal authorities treat their water sources rigorously before distributing the water to local households. Yet, even in cities with some of the safest water in the United States, like Portland, Oregon, lead still threatens citizens’ well-being. That’s mainly because it leaches into water from the piping systems of houses built before 1986 when the EPA wasn’t legislating the use of lead in plumbing fixtures.
As replacing a whole piping system with a risk-free one costs up to $30,000 nowadays, it’s challenging to implement EPA regulations for everyone. As a result, lead remains a serious hazard to public health.
Lastly, lead presence in the public water supply can be a result of an oversight by municipal authorities, as was the case in Flint, where tens of thousands of people were exposed to lead-contaminated water.
What are the health implications associated with lead in drinking water?
Lead in drinking water has been associated with many health risks in adults and children.
In children, even lower levels of lead exposure may lead to:
- Damage to the central and peripheral nervous system
- Brain damage
- Problems in physical and mental development
- Behavioral issues
- Hearing and speech impairment
In pregnant women, the risks of ingesting lead include:
- Still or premature birth
- Miscarriage
- Preventing the growth of the fetus
In adults, the health implications of lead in drinking water are similarly severe:
- Kidney, brain, and lung cancer
- Kidney dysfunction
- Memory loss
How do i test my water for lead?
Collecting a water sample from a faucet and sending it to an EPA-certified lab is the best way to learn whether lead is present in your water supply. Of course, it’s not free (varying between $25 and $400), and you’ll have to wait a few days to a few weeks to get the result. However, you’ll receive a detailed report listing all the contaminants in your water.
Should that list show a presence of lead, albeit in trace amounts, take action immediately.
If you suspect your water might contain lead, stop using it as drinking water, and stick to bottled spring water.
Should I purchase a water filter that removes lead?
You should immediately purchase a water filter if there’s lead in your water. As mentioned, there’s no safe lead level in drinking water according to the EPA. Also, considering the plethora of health risks associated with lead, getting a high-quality unit like the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher will be more than worth it if you can afford the investment.
Which water filter is the best for removing lead?
The water filters that have the best lead reduction percentages are:
- Waterdrop G3P800: 99.9%
- Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher: 99.3%
- Epic Smart Shield: 99.3%
- SpringWell Whole House Lead & Cyst Filtration System: 99%
- AquaTRU countertop RO System: 99%
Consider your household’s needs, such as whether you have enough space on your counter or under your sink, before making a purchasing decision.
Which NSF certification is relevant to lead reduction?
The NSF certification that pertains to lead is the NSF Standard 53. However, not all products that have an NSF 53 certification are necessarily effective against lead. Before finalizing a purchase, you should examine the performance data sheets of the product you want to buy, see whether it eliminates lead, and, if it does, check with what success rate.
Similarly, if a product is uncertified, it doesn’t mean it’s ineffective against lead. For instance, the SpringWell unit we reviewed is efficient at lead removal despite holding no NSF certifications.
If you’re suspicious of its performance, you can run your own independent water tests, one before installing the device and one after. If the product doesn’t work, you may claim your money back.
