Michigan's Get Ahead of Lead Program

Keep Your Drinking Water Safe at Home with a Lead Filtration System

Is your drinking water safe? With new EPA funding, Michigan is taking stronger action to address lead contamination statewide. Homeowners in West Michigan can take advantage of this funding to get the lead out and make the drinking water their families use safer.

Here's what every homeowner needs to know.

Schedule Your Water Test

Does Your Home Need Lead Prevention?

Michigan now recommends that all households use certified lead remediation filters if your home has any of these risk factors:

• Lead or galvanized plumbing
• Lead service lines connecting your home to the street water supply
• Older faucets and fixtures installed before 2014

Health Risks

The CDC warns that children face health risks from any amount of lead exposure. Lead can also cause serious health problems for adults.

For children, these health risks include:

• Brain and nervous system damage
• Developmental and growth delays
• Learning and behavioral issues
• Hearing and speech problems

In adults, lead exposure can also cause:

• Brain damage
• Kidney damage
• High blood pressure
• Harm to the reproductive system for both sexes

Whether you're on city water or a private well, lead can enter your drinking water when older pipes, faucets, and fittings begin to corrode.

Get a Water Test

Your home in West Michigan may have lead-contaminated water. Remove all doubt about your system with an at-home water test and recommendations from Gordon Water today.

Schedule a Water Test

How Lead Gets Into Your Water

Lead contamination occurs in two forms:

• Dissolved lead: invisible lead that has leached into your water
• Lead particles: tiny fragments from deteriorating lead-containing materials

Several factors determine how much lead enters your drinking water:

• Your water's chemical composition
• Contact time with lead-containing pipes and fixtures
• Your household water usage patterns
• Recent construction or plumbing work that can disturb lead particles

Your Best Defense: Certified Filtration

The most effective protection is using filters certified to both NSF/ANSI Standard 53 (lead reduction) and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 (particulate reduction, Class I).

At Gordon Water, our certified lead remediation filters and reverse osmosis systems meet these rigorous standards, giving you confidence that your family's drinking water is safe.

Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

These systems use a semi-permeable membrane to remove all types of contaminants, including lead. They also improve the taste of your water, right at the tap.

Lead Remediation Filters

Gordon Water also provides multiple types of lead filtration systems for homes in West Michigan. These include:

• Activated carbon filters: These filters incorporate activated carbon to trap and remove lead particles from water.
• Whole-house filtration systems: Installed at the main water supply entry point, these systems remove lead for the entire household.
• Pitcher filtration systems: These pitchers are equipped with specialized filters and are convenient for families that want to filter water directly from the tap. However, you’ll have to ration water when you use them or risk running out when you need it most.

Additional Protection Steps

While you're installing proper filtration, these practices help reduce lead exposure.

Flush Your Pipes Regularly

Run water frequently to prevent stagnation in older pipes. Before drinking or cooking, run other water uses first—such as laundry, dishwashing, or showers.

Use Cold Water for Consumption

Always run cold water until it reaches its coldest temperature before drinking or cooking.

Maintain Your Faucet Aerators

Clean the mesh screens every six months, or monthly during nearby construction work.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I know if my home has lead pipes?

Many homes in Grand Rapids and other communities in West Michigan have lead pipes or service lines. However, not all do—especially newer homes. You can schedule an in-home water test to confirm if your home has lead contamination to be safe.

Does boiling water remove lead?

No. Unlike with bacteria, boiling water does not remove or destroy lead.

What’s the safest way to get rid of lead in drinking water?

The safest and most effective way to get rid of lead in your drinking water is to replace your lead and galvanized pipes with PEX.

However, since pipe replacements can be prohibitively expensive for most families, installing reverse osmosis or lead remediation filters on your water lines is often a more practical choice.

Are pitcher filters effective for lead?

Yes, certain types of pitcher filters can remove lead from your water. However, they only filter about a gallon of water at a time. A member of the Gordon Water team can provide recommendations for which option may be best for you, including high-capacity filtration systems.

Schedule Lead Testing for Your Water Today

Knowing what’s in your water will help you take the next steps to filtering out lead and other contaminants.

Gordon Water can test both well water and municipal water for lead for a nominal fee and help you get peace of mind.