Water Pollution and Your Health: How to Remove Lead and Other Contaminants
Lead in drinking water is a growing concern, with millions of Americans still exposed to unsafe levels. Lead contamination in water is one of the most pressing water quality issues today, for good reason. It’s extremely dangerous to consume - there’s no safe level of lead exposure - and an estimated 9.2 million lead service lines in the U.S. still transport water from its source to people’s homes.
At the end of 2024, the U.S. government updated regulations on lead pipes. New regulations according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require the replacement of all lead pipes in the U.S. within 10 years. With this new regulation, the EPA released data outlining where in the US lead pipes are being used. As it turns out, lead pipes are still used in all 50 states, though the issue is more pervasive in certain states. Illinois, Ohio, and New York were listed as the top 3 states that use the most lead pipes, followed closely by Michigan and Wisconsin. In an article unpacking the EPA data, the NRDC states that there is “a pervasive problem with cities and towns, big and small, across the country that have documented where people are drinking through what amounts to a lead straw, and where we do not even know the pipe materials.” Though lead pipes and fittings haven’t been manufactured since 1986, they’re still an issue because they’re still around in most older buildings that haven’t been updated, and lead enters the water supply as these older pipes begin to corrode.
Drinking contaminated water can have severe health impacts, from lead poisoning to bacterial infections. Unsafe water is linked to neurodevelopmental issues, cognitive decline, and even premature death. A 2019 Global Burden of Disease study cited 1.4 million premature deaths as being caused by water pollution due to unsafe water sources globally. A 2022 review linked water pollution to poor cognitive health - certain pollutants, including lead, can cause neurodevelopmental impairment, reduction of IQ, behavioral disorder, Parkinson-type syndrome and more.
While lead is a very relevant source of pollution right now due to the EPA’s recent regulation update, there are some other major sources of pollution that are relevant to this blog. Water pollution can occur at 3 major origins: the municipal level, the in-building level, and the point of use level. An example of water pollution originating at the municipal level is the use of lead pipes, which is where the majority of lead pollution originates. Another example of municipal level pollution is high levels of chlorine, which municipalities use in water purification.
Pollution can also happen at the in-building level. Causes of water contamination go beyond lead pipes. Issues like corroded plumbing, bacterial buildup, and backflow - all examples of in-building contamination - introduce harmful pollutants into tap water. Another cause for concern is bacterial growth, which often happens when water is stagnant for long stretches of time. This is a more common problem in buildings like schools or professional workplaces, which are often closed down over the weekend, meaning no one is using the water. This leaves ample opportunity for bacterial contamination to grow in the plumbing system.
The final relevant source of drinking water pollution happens at the fixture level. An example of this would be bacterial growth on plumbing fixtures such as sink faucets or shower heads. Bacterial growth on water fixtures could lead to health issues like waterborne diseases.
If you're wondering how to filter drinking water effectively, consider both whole-building filtration and point-of-use water filters. The right system can help remove lead, chlorine, and bacteria from your home’s water supply. Water filtration can be applied at the building level, such as implementing a reverse osmosis (RO) system, or it can be applied at the point of use level, such as implementing a water fixture filter. As far as filtration type, we’d recommend point of use filters since RO systems are pretty inefficient - they waste about ⅘ of water that cycles through them. RO filtration uses a high pressure pump to filter water through a semi-permeable membrane, and the water pressure needed for filtration wastes most of the water that goes through the system. Instead, we recommend point of use solutions as they’re more efficient, cheaper, and easier to maintain. We believe that one of the best at-home solutions for removing contaminants is the Zero Water Filter Pitcher, because it removes a wider range of contaminants than other water pitcher brands.
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