Lead doesn't come from the source water itself — it leaches into tap water from old lead service lines, lead solder, and brass fixtures as water sits in or travels through plumbing installed before 1986, which is especially common throughout older Philadelphia-area homes.
In October 2024, the EPA finalized the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), requiring water systems nationwide to fully replace virtually all lead and "galvanized requiring replacement" service lines under their control within 10 years. The rule's public education materials must now state plainly that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water, with specific language about risk to pregnant people, infants and young children. Starting November 2027, the lead action level that triggers utility action drops from 0.015 mg/L to 0.010 mg/L — but utility-side replacement doesn't cover the service line or plumbing on your side of the meter, which is your own responsibility to address.
Excalibur Sureflo® reverse osmosis systems remove up to 99.5% of contaminants, including lead, through a 6-stage sediment, carbon and membrane filtration process — for pure water at the tap regardless of what's happening in the pipes between your water meter and your kitchen sink.
Learn MoreWe'll test it for free and show you exactly what a system would remove.
No. The EPA's own public education requirements state plainly that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water, with particular risk to pregnant people, infants and young children.
Utilities serving more than 50,000 people are now required to maintain a publicly accessible service line inventory by address, but many lines are still listed as unknown — a water test is the only way to know what's actually coming out of your own tap.
No — boiling does not remove lead and can actually concentrate it slightly as water evaporates. Filtration, such as reverse osmosis, or source line replacement are the only effective fixes.