Straight answers, sourced.

Pittsburgh Water's own reporting shows lead was the serious problem: the 90th percentile lead level peaked at 22 ppb in the first half of 2016, above the EPA action level of 15 ppb, and the system exceeded that action level in five testing rounds through mid-2019. After orthophosphate corrosion control began in April 2019, levels fell every round, reaching 2.0 ppb in 2025, the lowest in 20 years. As of October 1, 2026, Pittsburgh Water had replaced 16,264 public and 12,533 private lead service lines, about 88 percent of its residential program, with all residential lead lines targeted for replacement by the end of 2027. Disinfection byproducts have stayed within federal limits in every annual report checked (2025: TTHM 51 ppb against an 80 ppb limit, HAA5 15 ppb against 60), PFAS testing in 2024 and 2025 found no detections, and the utility classifies its water as moderately hard without publishing a numeric hardness value. Citywide averages do not show what comes out of an individual home's tap, which is why we test in the home. See the full charts and sources in Pittsburgh's water, in the official numbers.

Common signs of hard water include white or chalky scale buildup on faucets and showerheads, spots on glasses and dishes after washing, soap that does not lather well, stiff or faded laundry, dry skin and hair, and crusty deposits inside kettles and water-using appliances. A free in-home water test can confirm how hard your water is.

A water softener removes the calcium and magnesium minerals that make water hard, which stops scale and gives you better lather and spot-free rinsing from truly soft water. A salt-free scale inhibitor does not remove those minerals; it conditions them so they are far less likely to stick to pipes and appliances as scale. Inhibitors use no salt and no electricity, while softeners provide complete hardness removal.

Reverse osmosis pushes drinking water through a fine membrane that filters out a wide range of dissolved substances, then stores the purified water for a dedicated faucet at your sink. Our drinking water system is The MVP by Varsity Water Systems, certified against NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for the reduction of the claims specified on the Performance Data Sheet, including contaminants like lead, nitrites and arsenic. Pairing The MVP with whole-home filtration is our specialty: the whole house gets filtered water, and the kitchen sink gets the purest water in the home.

Schedule a visit and we come to your home in the Greater Pittsburgh area, test your water on the spot, and explain the results in plain language. The test checks the factors that decide which system fits your home, such as hardness. You get an honest recommendation based on your actual water, with no obligation to buy.

Yes. Three Rivers Water Filtration is a provider of quality Varsity Water Systems in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Every system we provide is shipped directly to a local plumbing professional under contract with Three Rivers, who installs it in your home. We provide ongoing filter service and maintenance, and Three Rivers stays your one point of contact, so one call covers the test, the install and the follow-up care.

Three Rivers is owner-led and runs on a streamlined business model, with no showroom. Brandon Cox is your one point of contact from the first call through the follow-up care. Once you choose a system, the equipment is shipped directly to a local plumbing professional under contract with Three Rivers, who installs it in your home across the Greater Pittsburgh area.

The two systems Three Rivers features first are The Champion, a water softener with integrated filtration that treats water for the whole home, or The MVP, a reverse osmosis system for purified drinking, cooking and beverage water. Many homes pair the two. Homes that need soft water around the clock, even during regeneration, can choose The Infinity twin-tank softener. The free in-home water test is the reliable way to find out which fits your water before you spend anything.