Remember to use your tap water daily
To help the treatment take full effect, be sure to use cold tap water at your kitchen sink every day and regularly use tap water throughout your home. You can flush your pipes with daily tap water uses, like doing a load of laundry, washing dishes or bathing. Continued regular water use can help our treatment move through your pipes and take effect in your home.
Use an NSF-certified filter
Water Use Resources
Regular water use is critical to resolving this situation in University Park. Water use moves our treatment through customers’ plumbing systems so it can build a protective coating. Once formed, this protective coating prevents lead inside customers’ pipes from interacting with fresh water flowing into their homes.
If you are under the advisory in University Park, you should use a certified lead-removing filter prior to consuming your water. Use an NSF-certified filter, like those we have provided, and follow a two-step “flush and filter” process before you consume your tap water. Visit the How-to-Consume page for more information on steps to take prior to consuming tap water under the advisory.
Look for NSF 53 and NSF 42 filters, which are certified to remove lead. Proper installation and maintenance will ensure your filter’s effectiveness in reducing lead levels. We are continuing to provide certified filters and replacements free of charge for anyone under the advisory.
Even if water contains lead, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Environmental Protection Agency, human skin does not absorb it from water. As such, there is no need to filter tap water for non-consumption purposes such as washing hands, bathing, and washing dishes.
