At‑a‑Glance: Contaminants, Health Risks & Home Fixes

Lead: What it is, where it comes from, and how to protect your family

Lead doesn’t usually come from the treatment plant — it typically leaches from legacy plumbing (lead service lines, solder, brass components) between the street and your faucet. The CDC states that no safe blood lead level has been identified for children and the EPA sets a goal of zero lead in drinking water, with corrosion control and pipe replacement as primary system‑level protections. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}

Fast home fix

• Drinking/Cooking: Install a certified point‑of‑use RO at the kitchen sink. Start with the 5‑Stage RO, 50 GPD. Pair with a Pentek Big Blue sediment/carbon stage if incoming water is turbid.
• Whole home: Where house‑wide reduction is desired, see LeadSafePlus and activated carbon to address taste/odor and DBP precursors.
• Long term: Replace lead service lines and interior lead plumbing where possible (check your utility’s LCR/LCRI program and lead inventory). :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}

Arsenic: Natural, invisible, and common in private wells

Arsenic occurs naturally in groundwater in many U.S. regions; chronic ingestion is linked to cancers and other health harms. EPA’s enforceable standard is 10 ppb. Private wells are not federally regulated — owners must test and treat. :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}

Fast home fix

• POU: Under‑Sink RO for drinking/cooking.
• POE: ArsenicSafePlus for whole‑home arsenic media where a household‑wide solution is needed (verify spec vs. valence state and pH).
• Read our Well Water System Builder to stage iron, manganese, H₂S, hardness, and arsenic in the correct order.

PFAS (“Forever Chemicals”): What changed in 2024—and what to install now

In April 2024, the EPA finalized the first national primary drinking water regulation for specific PFAS. The agency identifies granular activated carbon (GAC), anion exchange (IX), and reverse osmosis (RO) as Best Available Technologies; studies show high removal, often into the 90–99% range depending on species and media life. :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}

Fast home fix

• POU: Choose an under‑sink RO and verify any PFAS reduction claims to NSF/ANSI 58/53 where applicable. :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}
• POE: Use high‑iodine catalytic coconut‑shell carbon for broad organics/DBP precursors on city water; replace on schedule.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs): Chlorine’s tradeoff on city water

Chlorination saves lives, but when chlorine meets natural organic matter it can form DBPs such as total trihalomethanes (TTHM) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). EPA limits are 80 ppb and 60 ppb respectively; utilities manage this via source control, treatment optimization and distribution monitoring. :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}

Fast home fix

• POE: Install whole‑home catalytic carbon to reduce chlorinated taste/odor and DBP precursors.
• POU: Add RO at the kitchen sink for high‑purity drinking water.

Chloramine (monochloramine) is used by many utilities to keep a longer‑lasting residual and can reduce certain regulated DBPs, though taste/odor can persist. Carbon is your best friend here. :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}

Nitrates: Why infants are uniquely at risk (and what actually removes nitrate)

Nitrate contamination often reflects fertilizer, septic, or animal waste impacts. Infants exposed above the EPA MCL of 10 mg/L (as nitrogen) are at risk of methemoglobinemia (“blue baby syndrome”). Effective home treatments include reverse osmosis, anion exchange, and electrodialysis (boiling does not help). :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}

Perchlorate: A thyroid‑active anion from rocket fuel & industry

Perchlorate interferes with iodide uptake in the thyroid. The EPA has technical guidance and states regulate; several treatments (POU RO, anion exchange) are effective at the tap. :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23}

Microorganisms (E. coli, Giardia, Cryptosporidium): When a UV barrier makes sense

Microbial risks are acute — they cause illness now. Municipal rules require multiple “log” barriers; the MCLG for Cryptosporidium is zero. In private wells or during advisories, UV at the point‑of‑entry is a robust final barrier; follow boil‑water guidance during outbreaks. :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24}

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) & Cyanotoxins

Cyanobacterial toxins like microcystin can appear seasonally in lakes/reservoirs. The WHO provisional drinking‑water guideline for microcystin‑LR is 1 µg/L; EPA has 10‑day health advisories used by many states. Treatment combinations include optimized coagulation/filtration with GAC and POU RO for drinking water quality. :contentReference[oaicite:25]{index=25}

Microplastics & Nanoplastics: What we know (and don’t)

Current evidence suggests low human‑health risk from microplastics in drinking water, but monitoring is expanding (California mandated multi‑year testing). If you want a precautionary final polish at the tap, RO plus carbon is a practical option. :contentReference[oaicite:26]{index=26}

Aging Infrastructure, Climate Shocks & Small‑System Challenges

The ASCE reports U.S. drinking water systems lose ~6 billion gallons/day to leaks and experience roughly ~240–260k water‑main breaks/year, illustrating why taste, color and advisories can spike locally. Climate stressors (floods, droughts, wildfires, warm water) further degrade source water and raise treatment difficulty. :contentReference[oaicite:27]{index=27}

Many small community water systems face resource constraints meeting federal standards — robust point‑of‑use treatment at home is a smart hedge. (See GAO briefings on small‑system challenges.) :contentReference[oaicite:28]{index=28}

Build the right stack for your home

Buyer Helpers & Learning Center

• Water Softener Sizing Chart · RO Sizing Calculator
• HTML Product Sitemap (full list of verified items)
• How RO Works (1‑Page Guide)

Looking for specific certifications? Search NSF’s database for NSF/ANSI 53 (health effects) and 58 (RO) claims as needed. :contentReference[oaicite:29]{index=29}

Important notes

• Testing first: Always test before you buy — especially for wells. Your county/state lab or a certified lab kit will let you match solutions to levels.
• Standards & guidance: Regulatory thresholds evolve (PFAS, lead rules, cyanotoxin advisories). We linked to primary sources so your team can keep this page current. :contentReference[oaicite:30]{index=30}
• Medical advice: This content is educational and not medical advice. Vulnerable groups (infants, pregnancy, immunocompromised) should follow public‑health guidance during advisories. :contentReference[oaicite:31]{index=31}