Water problems
Lead: the citywide trend, and the part of the pipe that is yours
Last updated
The short answer
Pittsburgh Water's 90th-percentile lead level peaked at 22 ppb in 2016, above the EPA action level of 15 ppb, and fell to 2.0 ppb in 2025 after corrosion control and mass line replacement. What no citywide chart can show is your service line and your plumbing. Until every line is out, the tap is the test that matters, and point-of-use filtration certified for lead reduction is the layer a homeowner controls today.
What you notice
Signs to look for
- An older home that may have a lead service line
- A street not yet reached by the replacement program
- Wanting certainty about the water your family drinks
What the record says
Context
Five rounds over the action level, then a steep drop
Pittsburgh's results sat above the EPA action level of 15 ppb in five compliance rounds between 2016 and mid-2019. The turning point was orthophosphate corrosion control, added in April 2019. Every round since has come in below the action level. See the full lead chart.
The fix is 88% done
As of October 1, 2026, Pittsburgh Water had replaced 16,264 public and 12,533 private lead service lines, about 88% of its residential program, and targets every residential lead service line by the end of 2027. Your street may be in the last 12%.
How it is treated
Systems that address lead
Certified drinking water at the sink
The MVP and The Guardian-Gold are certified against NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for the reduction claims on their Performance Data Sheets, including lead.
The MVP
The Most Valuable Purification (MVP)
Varsity's advanced reverse osmosis system for drinking water, cooking and beverages, with multi-stage filtration, a TDS meter and a dispensing faucet.
See The MVP
The Guardian-Gold
Fully Equipped Protection.
Reverse osmosis with a built-in TDS monitor that detects when cartridges begin to let contaminants through: real-time quality monitoring under your sink.
See The Guardian-GoldWhole-home lead filtration
The PIONEER, by ENPRESS and offered by Varsity, is certified by IAPMO R&T against NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead, per ENPRESS.
Questions
Lead: common questions
What does the official record show about Pittsburgh's lead levels?
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 level in five rounds through mid-2019. After orthophosphate corrosion control began in April 2019, levels fell, reaching 2.0 ppb in 2025.
Is The Guardian certified for lead?
Varsity publishes no third-party certification claim for The Guardian. For certified reduction claims, see The MVP and The Guardian-Gold, both NSF/ANSI 58 certified.
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