Pitcher Filter Frequently Asked Questions

Pennsylvania American Water has recently or will soon be replacing a lead service line at your home. The U.S. EPA recommends using a pitcher filter for drinking water for 6 months after a lead service line replacement to reduce potential exposure to lead.

Replacing a lead service line has been shown to potentially cause temporary increases in lead levels. Using a pitcher filter designed to remove lead from drinking water for 6 months after a lead service line replacement can help reduce your overall exposure to lead.

The U.S. EPA recommends using a pitcher filter for drinking water for 6 months after a lead service line replacement to help reduce potential exposure to lead. Filtered water should be used for drinking, making hot beverages, cooking food, and preparing infant formula. Non-filtered water can be used for other activities, such as showering and bathing.

Yes. Human skin does not absorb lead in water, and brushing teeth is not typically identified as an exposure route. To be sure, avoid swallowing large amounts of water while brushing your teeth.

To be safe, pets should be given filtered drinking water as well.

No, boiling water will not remove lead.

It is recommended to use filters that are certified to NSF Standard 53, which can be used for lead removal for drinking and cooking if maintained as recommended by the manufacturer. For guidance on verifying if your filter is certified to remove lead, see NSF International’s guide to certified filtration devices.

If you have a built-in filter, you should verify that the filter is certified to NSF Standard 53 for lead removal for drinking and cooking before using it for drinking or making ice. For guidance on verifying if your refrigerator filter is certified to remove lead, see NSF International’s guide to certified filtration devices.

If you do not have a built-in filter in your refrigerator that is certified to NSF Standard 53 for lead removal, you should prepare ice in trays using water from the provided pitcher filter.

Some home treatment devices can remove lead from drinking water, while some treatment devices will not. Be sure to read the treatment system manufacturer’s materials to determine if your treatment device is effective at removing lead, and look for the NSF Standard 53 certification for your device.

Yes, but please keep in mind water softeners are not intended to remove lead, so it is important to use the pitcher filter that was provided. Further, not properly maintaining a water softener could have a negative impact on the corrosivity of the water in your home, so please review your manufacturer’s recommendations on operation and maintenance.

U.S. EPA recommends using a pitcher filter for 6 months after the replacement of a lead service line.

It is important to replace the filter when the indicator is lit using the cartridges provided. At the time you were provided the pitcher filter, you were also provided with cartridges that are designed to last 6 months. If you run out of cartridges within 6 months of the replacement of your lead service line, you can order more cartridges at the Pitcher Filter Cartridge Ordering Page. In addition, replacement cartridges are available from a number of retailers.

About 3 months after the service line replacement, Pennsylvania American Water will send you a postcard to offer sampling. Should you accept the offer, a lead sample kit will be mailed to you to help determine the quality of the water in your home. Please follow the instructions for collecting a sample so we can provide you with accurate information about the quality of your water and discuss appropriate next steps. Until that time, you should use the pitcher filter provided and take additional steps as described to help reduce your risk of exposure to lead.

Pennsylvania American Water will work with you to try to identify the potential cause of the elevated sample. This may include collecting additional samples and/or working with you to review your internal plumbing and fixtures.

No. If you wish to continue using the pitcher filter after 6 months, it is important to replace the cartridge as specified by the manufacturer; replacement cartridges are available from a number of retailers.

No, there is no charge to you for the pitcher filter or replacement cartridges for the first 6 months.

You cannot see, smell or taste lead, and boiling water will not remove lead. Here are some steps you can take to reduce your potential exposure if lead exists in your home plumbing:

• Flush your taps. The longer the water lies dormant in your home’s plumbing, the more lead it might contain. If the water in your faucet has gone unused for more than 6 hours, flush the tap with cold water for 30 seconds to two minutes before drinking or using it to cook. To conserve water, catch the running water and use it to water your plants.
• Use cold water for drinking and cooking. Hot water has the potential to contain more lead than cold water. If hot water is needed for cooking, heat cold water on the stove or in the microwave.
• Routinely remove and clean all faucet aerators.
• Look for the “Lead Free” label when replacing or installing plumbing fixtures. Typically plumbing fixtures before 2014 contained some level of lead.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for replacing water filters in household appliances, such as refrigerators and ice makers, as well as home water treatment units and pitchers. Look for NSF 53 certified filters.
• Flush after plumbing changes. Changes to your service line, meter, or interior plumbing may result in sediment, possibly containing lead, in your water supply. Remove the aerator, if present, from each faucet and run the water for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Educate yourself on potential areas of lead exposure. Potential lead exposure can come from various sources within a residential dwelling. Lead paint and certain cookware such as older decorative porcelain can be potential exposure points to lead.

Pennsylvania American Water has determined that you did not have a lead service line or galvanized service line requiring replacement; therefore, a pitcher filter was not provided.

Once your service replacement is scheduled, we will provide a pitcher filter before your lead service line or galvanized service line requiring replacement is returned to service. In the meantime, please remember that Pennsylvania American Water takes steps to reduce the potential for lead to leach from your pipes into the water. This is accomplished by adding a corrosion inhibitor to the water leaving our treatment facilities, where needed. Some source waters are non-aggressive by nature, meaning there is no need to add corrosion control treatment.

We are phasing in distribution of pitcher filters into Pennsylvania American Water’s lead service line replacement program in advance of the regulatory requirements. As a reminder, using a pitcher filter is only one step customers can take to help reduce their risk from lead in drinking water.