Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated:
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Lead being a neurotoxin, it’s no wonder that people don’t want it in their drinking water at home.
But what about the water we use every day for cooking, showering, bathing, and washing our dishes and clothes?
Don’t worry – there are whole house water filters specifically designed for lead removal, too.
So, here is our guide on the best whole house water filters for lead!
On This Page You Will…
Product | Details | |
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![]() Best Overall with Highest Lead Reduction: PIONEER | Overall Rating: 5.0/5.0 ⓘRatings based on lead reduction %, purchase price, operating cost, filter capacity, NSF standards, product warranties, customer service, our own testing, user opinions, and other factors. Get 5% Off! Use Code: |
Price: $$$ Lead Reduction: 99.62% Flow Rate: 4-8 gpm Filter Life: 100,000 gal Annual Cost: ~$400 Read Review: Click |
![]() The Runner-Up: Aquasana OptimH2O | Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRatings based on lead reduction %, purchase price, operating cost, filter capacity, NSF standards, product warranties, customer service, our own testing, user opinions, and other factors. Get Up to 50% Off! Use Code: |
Price: $$$ Lead Reduction: 99.62% Flow Rate: 4.8 gpm Filter Life: 100,000 gal Annual Cost: $570 Read Review: Click |
![]() Best for Lead + Hard Water: SpringWell CWH-3 | Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRatings based on lead reduction %, purchase price, operating cost, filter capacity, NSF standards, product warranties, customer service, our own testing, user opinions, and other factors. Get 5% Off! Use Code: |
Price: $$ Lead Reduction: High Flow Rate: 16 gpm Filter Life: 12 Months Annual Cost: ~$350 Read Review: Click |
![]() Best for Lead + Chromium 6 + Arsenic 5: USWS Purely EZ | Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRatings based on lead reduction %, purchase price, operating cost, filter capacity, NSF standards, product warranties, customer service, our own testing, user opinions, and other factors. |
Price: $ Lead Reduction: >95% Flow Rate: 15 gpm Filter Life: 6-12 Months Annual Cost: ~$320–630 Read Review: Click |
![]() Best for Smaller Budgets: Home Master HMF2SmgCC55 | Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRatings based on lead reduction %, purchase price, operating cost, filter capacity, NSF standards, product warranties, customer service, our own testing, user opinions, and other factors. Get Free Shipping! Use Code: |
Price: $ Lead Reduction: Not Specified Flow Rate: 10 gpm Filter Life: 6-12 Months Annual Cost: ~$500 Read Review: Click |
![]() Best for Very High Flow Rates: Crystal Quest | Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRatings based on lead reduction %, purchase price, operating cost, filter capacity, NSF standards, product warranties, customer service, our own testing, user opinions, and other factors. Get 5% Off! Use Code: |
Price: $$$ Lead Reduction: Not Specified Flow Rate: 6-18 gpm Filter Life: 750,000-1,000,000 gal Annual Cost: ~$100 Read Review: Click |
Review Order
In our opinion, the best whole house water filter for lead removal in 2023 is the PIONEER.
The PIONEER is the only whole house water filter certified and tested for lead removal to NSF standards. It will remove 99.62% of particulate and soluble lead from 100,000 gallons of water. 5 stars!
Gallery
Other Specs
Key Features & Pros
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Our Rating
Best for
The PIONEER is ideal for people looking for the best whole house lead water filter that also includes NSF testing/certification.
Next on our list is the Aquasana OptimH2O whole house lead water filter.
It’s the best alternative to the PIONEER and equally effective. In fact, it seems like the PIONEER and the Aquasana OptimH2O are identical systems – except for the pre-filter that’s included with the Aquasana – only with different branding. So because the former costs a couple of hundred dollars less, we obviously prefer it.
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Our Rating
Best for
The Aquasana OptimH2O whole house water filter is best for people who want a highly effective lead removal system that’s backed by NSF certifications but don’t like the PIONEER for whatever reason.
If you are hunting for a whole house lead filter system that also eliminates scaling in your water supply, look no further! The SpringWell CWH-3 is exactly what you are searching for.
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Our Rating
Best for
The SpringWell CWH-3 3-stage whole house lead water filter is ideal for municipal water that contains lead and hardness.
If you are not only dealing with lead in your water supply but chromium 6 and arsenic 5 as well, we recommend you check out the Purely EZ by US Water Systems.
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Our Rating
Best for
The USWS Purely EZ is best for combined whole house lead/chromium 6/arsenic 5 filtration.
Are you on a budget? Then the Home Master HMF2SmgCC55 Whole House Water Filter for Lead might be just the right choice!
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Our Rating
Best for
The Home Master HMF2SmgCC55 is best for whole house water lead water filtration on a budget.
The Lead Removal Whole House Water Filter by Crystal Quest takes a completely different approach: It works pretty much like a water softener binding soluble lead in an ion exchange process. Additional carbon and KDF filter media are used to further improve lead filtration and also target other water contaminants like pesticides, chlorine, and mercury.
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Key Features & Pros
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Our Rating
Best for
Crystal Quest’s lead removal whole house water filter is best for soft water supplies and high flow rates.
Last but not least, we are going to review the Express Water Heavy Metal Whole House Water Filter.
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Key Features & Pros
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Our Rating
Best for
The Express Water Whole House Filter for Lead is best for people on a budget who are looking for a good price-performance ratio.
→ Full Express Water WH300SCKS Review
How do the best whole house water filters for lead removal perform when directly compared?
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Model | Price | Yearly Cost | Lead Removal | Filter Method | Water | Filtration Capacity | Warranty | Additional Info |
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PIONEER Whole House Lead Filter | $$$ | ~$400 | 99.62% | Carbon-Based | 4 to 8 gpm | 100,000 gal | Lifetime | |
Aquasana OptimH2O POE Lead Water Filter | $$$ | $570 | 99.62% | Catalytic + Activated Carbon Block | 4.8 gpm | 100,000 gal | 1 to 5 Years | |
SpringWell CWH-3 Whole House Cartridge System | $$ | ~$350 | High | Submicron Filtration | 16 gpm | 1 Year | Life | |
USWS Purely EZ Whole House Water Filter | $ | ~$320-630 | >95% | Carbon | 15 gpm | 6-12 Months | ||
Home Master HMF2SmgCC55 Whole House Lead Filtration System | $ | ~$500 | Not Specified | Catalytic Carbon + KDF55 | 10 gpm | 6-12 Months | 2 Years | |
Crystal Quest Lead Removal Whole House Water Filter | $$$ | ~$100 | Not Specified | Ion Exchange | 6-18 gpm | 750,000-1,000,000 gal | 1 Year | |
Express Water Heavy Metal Whole House Water Filter | $ | ~$170-340 | Not Specified | Catalytic Carbon, KDF85 | 15 gpm | 6-12 Months | 1 Year |
The following are things worth considering before you go out and buy a whole house water filter for lead removal. These are also the very same criteria we focused on when picking our top products for this guide.
Water filter companies can have their products tested against NSF standards. For the consumer, such third-party certifications are the only bulletproof way to ensure that a certain filter is actually capable of removing the contaminant or contaminants in question.
NSF standard 53 is particularly important if you’re looking for a whole house water filter that targets lead.
Keep in mind, though, that even if a water filter carries this certification, that’s no guarantee that it completely removes all the lead from your water supply. The certification only specifies a certain reduction level that must be met, defined by the EPA. Currently, that threshold is set to be 15 ppb (parts per billion) as an “acceptable” amount of lead.
Bottom line: Look out for whole house lead water filters tested or certified against NSF standard 53 for lead removal, and check the lead reduction rates as specified in the testing data (usually included in the product manual).
It’s always a good idea to test your water for additional contaminants. Lead is harmful, but it’s not the only danger you should be on the lookout for. Many other water pollutants can have a negative impact on your health and, in some cases, may require specialized filtration.
Professional water testing laboratories are always the best option if you’re willing to pay for your testing. They can provide you with an accurate overview of your current situation.
Alternatively, you can perform an at-home test, though you might not get completely accurate results this way. This will also not identify all types of water contaminants, depending on the test.
Finally, look into obtaining a copy of your local water quality report. Keep in mind that this is only available for public water supplies and there will be no data for the private parts of your property.
Whole house lead filters generally use either a cartridge-based or a tank-based system. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
Typically, cartridge-based systems are smaller and more compact. They are easy to install, in some cases even to the extent where you can do the installation yourself without any specialized help. Finally, they are relatively inexpensive, including some of the more powerful models available.
However, that lower upfront price may not matter much in the long run, as cartridge-based whole house water filters need to be replaced much more often. You should also be careful about hooking up a cartridge-based filter to parts of your plumbing with pressure issues as the filter might exacerbate those problems.
On the other hand, tank-based whole house lead filters are bulkier and more expensive. They are also more difficult to install. All of that is compensated by often more efficient operation and a longer lifetime.
Tank-based systems also usually don’t impact your water flow, at least not as much as some cartridge-based models.
As for whole house lead filtration methods;
All these methods can be effective if applied right.
When sizing any whole house water filter, it’s important that a system can provide enough filtered water to your entire household, including kitchen, bathroom(s), and home appliances.
An undersized whole home lead water filter will cause drops in water pressure when operating multiple outlets.
Around 10 to 15 gallons per minute is a good starting point. If you have a very large house, you might even need more than that.
As for filtration capacity, long-lasting filters mean fewer replacements which is less of a hassle and often more cost-effective.
One disadvantage of whole house water filters for lead compared to POU systems is that they can be significantly more challenging to install. In some cases, you might have to use professional services to ensure that the hookup is handled correctly and safely. Some manufacturers make the installation as simple as possible, but you can’t count on that for every model on the market.
The upfront cost of a whole house water filter for lead is not the only expense you’ll make related to it. You should also account for filter replacements. In the long term, these can get quite expensive with certain models.
That’s why it’s important to look into how frequently you’ll have to replace cartridges of whatever system you’re purchasing, and how much the replacements cost. Often, a lower initial price is offset by expensive filter replacements. The opposite is also true in many cases. Filtration systems that are more expensive upfront might end up quite affordable in the long run.
We prefer lifetime product warranties and ideally money-back guarantees covering the first 6 months after purchase. Do note, however, that you are usually responsible for shipping cost!
Make sure that you are not biting of more than you can chew. And remember that filter replacements are an ongoing cost factor.
If you’re investing in something like a whole house water filter for lead, you have to make sure that you’re spending your money on something that will serve you well in the long term. You can’t just look at the price alone – and our experienced reviewers are well aware of that.
All of the information presented in this review was compiled from multiple sources, including official specification sheets as well as third party ratings, customer opinions, and online discussions. Occasionally, we contacted some manufacturers and had a chat with them about their products.
And while many other reviewers only use publicly available information and don’t bother to use the products themselves, this doesn’t apply to us. For many of these products, we placed an order and used them for some time until we were confident enough in our ability to talk about them in a factual manner.
More on Whole House Water Filters for Lead Removal
First of all, lead is a heavy metal and a naturally occurring element on planet Earth.
While it has some advantages to it, lead is highly toxic to both humans and animals, often causing severe health effects.
Lead contamination is the result of outdated plumbing techniques, which are now thankfully banned – since 1986 to be precise.
And while most households don’t use plumbing with lead pipes, flux, and solders anymore, many still get their water from sources that involve this type of piping at various points. Essentially, the water leaches the heavy metal out of said components as they wear and tear.
It can be difficult to ensure that your water supply is not affected without testing it. Even if your home’s plumbing was put in recently and follows all modern regulations, you can’t guarantee the same for every stage of the delivery system leading to your home.
Lead in drinking water is associated with various adverse health effects. Some of those are minor enough that we might not even notice them in our daily lives, such as abdominal pain and the occasional headache. However, the longer you’re exposed to lead, the more serious those effects can get. In extreme cases, people can suffer from memory loss, unprovoked aggression, severe irritability, weakness, and other symptoms.
In fact, there is ongoing research that has shown a possible link between elevated blood levels of lead and increased crime in some parts of the US. This is primarily linked to the excessive use of lead in consumer fuels a few decades ago. But it doesn’t matter how lead gets into your body – whether you inhale it or consume it with your water, the final effect is always detrimental.
If your water contains any amount of lead, it’s not safe – period. There is no safe level of lead, and you should always aim to avoid consuming it whenever you have control over that.
That’s why installing a high-end whole house lead water filter is recommended if you have positively identified lead contamination in your water supply. Don’t be confused by official regulations – even though there is an “approved” level of lead according to the EPA, even that amount is still harmful.
There are generally three methods for testing for lead in water.
Laboratory testing is always the best option. It’s not cheap, but produces the most accurate results. It can also help you identify other contaminants in your water supply, depending on the type of test you order.
Testing your water yourself is also an option, but it’s only advisable to use that approach if you don’t have access to laboratory testing or aren’t willing to pay for it. Some at-home testing kits can produce relatively good results, but they are still not as good as proper laboratory testing.
You should also consider getting a copy of your local water report. Keep in mind that if significant parts of your plumbing are on your private property – especially if you have a dedicated well – the report will not contain any information about that.
Several methods are commonly used for removing lead from water. Different whole house water filters may use different approaches, and in some cases may even combine them.
A whole house water filter always purifies your entire water supply instead of focusing on specific endpoints so you get filtered water in your kitchen but also for showering, doing laundry, etc.
And needless to say, a lead water filter improves the healthiness of your water by removing harmful lead.
A whole house water filter for lead will likely remove other types of contaminants as well. A good example is the PIONEER which is also certified for PFAS reduction.
Most systems are very easy to maintain yourself; no need to pay a contractor.
You cannot taste lead in water. Still, the filtered water will likely taste better than before due to a bunch of other contaminants being removed. This makes it easier for your family to hydrate properly.
I hope this list of the best whole house water filters for lead removal was helpful. Questions? Ask away!
And keep in mind: We’ll add new whole house lead removal filter reviews occasionally. So come back for more!