Atlanta, GA · Lead

Is There Lead in Atlanta Tap Water?

Lead was detected in Atlanta tap water.The reported 90th-percentile result was 1.4 µg/L, compared with the federal action level of 15 µg/L. That is below the level that triggers action, but the health goal is zero and home plumbing can add more.
  • ATLANTA · PWSID GA1210001
  • Purity Score 88 · Good
  • Confidence: high
Lead service lines in Atlanta
0lead lines of 184,665 in EPA’s inventory (2026Q2)
  • Lead0
  • Galvanized, to replace0
  • Unknown material43,429
  • Not lead141,236
How Atlanta compares
Lower than 65% of 2,738 cities with a detected value

What this means: Atlanta’s result is below the federal action level. It is a citywide figure; plumbing in an individual home can differ.

City water is not your tap

Plumbing inside a home can add lead the record can’t show.

The city report tells you about the water system. A tap test tells you about your household.

How to test your tap
  1. Surface waterSource
  2. TreatmentIn the record
  3. Distribution systemSampled
  4. Service lineNot in the record
  5. Building plumbingNot in the record
  6. Your tapOnly a tap test
In order of priority

What can you do about lead?

  1. Test your tapThe highest-value step. A first-draw sample shows what reaches your glass.Choose a test →Identify your plumbingAsk the utility about your service line; check for lead solder or old brass fixtures.Ask your utility →
  2. Reduce exposureIf testing shows lead, use a filter certified for lead at the tap you drink from.Treatment options →Replace the sourceReplace a lead service line or suspect plumbing. Many utilities share the cost.Find local help →

Ask your utility first

Find out if your building has a lead service line

Water utilities keep an inventory of service-line materials. Ask ATLANTA whether your address is on it before you replace pipes.

Local help

Think your plumbing may be adding lead?

Call to be connected with a local plumbing provider about lead service lines, repiping or fixture replacement.

Commercial · test your own tapWe may earn a commission

City data tells you what’s happening across the system. Your tap tells you what’s happening in your home.

Test kits for lead in Atlanta, compared
TestLeadOther contaminantsResultUseful for
ETR Labs Basic Water Quality Test Kit✓50+ substances, including lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, hardness and coliform bacteriaLab numberA number you can act on
Safe Home DIY Lead in Drinking Water Combo Test Kit✓None listedScreening, not lab-gradeA quick first check
  • Lab-certified results

    ETR Labs Basic Water Quality Test Kit

    ETR Laboratories

    50+ substances, including lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, hardness and coliform bacteria

    What it can't tell you: It does not test PFAS, and not every result on the panel falls under the lab's accredited scope.

  • Screening: quick check, not lab-grade

    Safe Home DIY Lead in Drinking Water Combo Test Kit

    Safe Home (EnviroTestKits)

    Lead, read as one of three ranges: 0–4, 5–15 or 15+ ppb

    • Turnaround: 5 minutes

    What it can't tell you: It shows a lead range, not an exact level, and tests nothing else unless you pay extra for the optional lab test.

Commercial · treatment for the lead found

Treatment options for Atlanta lead

We may earn a commission
  1. Lead
  2. Exposure pathway
  3. Treatment technology
  4. Certification
  5. Product
Contaminant
Lead
Detected
Yes · 1.4 µg/L
Benchmark
15 µg/L action level
Household concern
Plumbing-dependent
Matching technologyLead-certified point-of-use filtration

Why: designed to reduce lead at the drinking-water tap, after the water has passed through the service line and building plumbing.

  • NSF/ANSI 53 · carbon
  • NSF/ANSI 58 · reverse osmosis

★ Best choice: Brita Elite Water Filter Pitcher, certified for lead.

Filters for the lead found in Atlanta water
PickProductDetails and priceCertificationWhy it’s listedLink
★ Best choicePitcherBrita Elite Water Filter PitcherBritaTreatsleadPrice$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodUnder-sinkWaterdrop G3P600 Tankless Reverse-Osmosis SystemWaterdropTreatsleadPrice$$$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 58-2024, IAPMO)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price at Waterdrop
Also goodUnder-sinkWaterdrop G3P800 Tankless Reverse-Osmosis SystemWaterdropTreatsleadPrice$$$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 58-2024, IAPMO)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price at Waterdrop
See all 15 drinking-water options for lead
More drinking-water options for lead
PickProductDetails and priceCertificationWhy it’s listedLink
Also goodCountertopAquaTru Carafe Countertop Reverse-Osmosis Purifier (AT100)AquaTruTreatsleadPrice$$$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 58, IAPMO)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodCountertopAquaTru Classic Countertop Reverse-Osmosis Purifier (AT2000)AquaTruTreatsleadPrice$$$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 58, IAPMO)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodUnder-sinkAquasana Claryum 2-Stage Under-Sink Filter (AQ-5200)AquasanaTreatsleadPrice$$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodUnder-sinkAquasana Claryum 3-Stage Max Flow Under-Sink Filter (AQ-6300M)AquasanaTreatsleadPrice$$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodCountertopAquasana Clean Water Machine Countertop Filter (AQ-CWM2)AquasanaTreatsleadPrice$$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, WQA)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodPitcherCulligan ZeroWater 10-Cup Pitcher (ZEROP10)Culligan ZeroWaterTreatsleadPrice$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, IAPMO)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodUnder-sinkFrizzlife SP99 Under-Sink FilterFrizzlife Technology IncTreatsleadPrice$$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53-2024, IAPMO)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodFaucet-mountPUR Plus Faucet Filter (FM2500V)PURTreatsleadPrice$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, IAPMO)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodCountertopPatriot Pure Ultimate Water Filtration SystemPatriot Pure (4Patriots)TreatsleadPrice$$Certified for Lead (NSF/ANSI 53, NSF, IAPMO)Why it’s listed: its current certification names lead, found in Atlanta’s record.See the evidenceCheck price on Amazon
Also goodReverse osmosisiSpring RCC7AK Alkaline Reverse Osmosis SystemiSpring · It treats only the water from its own faucet and sends part of the water to the drain; the NSF listing for the plain RCC7AK covers dissolved solids, not lead or PFAS.Use code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order.TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for leadSee the evidenceCheck price at iSpring
Also goodReverse osmosisiSpring RO5004F Tankless Reverse Osmosis System with UViSpring · Its PFAS and lead reduction claims are iSpring's own, with no third-party certification named for this model, and it treats only the water at its own faucet.Use code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order.TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for leadSee the evidenceCheck price at iSpring
Also goodReverse osmosisWaterdrop X12 Reverse Osmosis SystemWaterdrop · Its IAPMO NSF/ANSI 58 certification covers TDS reduction only, so its PFAS and lead claims rest on Waterdrop's own SGS lab testing.TechnologyReverse osmosisPrice$$$$Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for leadSee the evidenceCheck price at Waterdrop

★ Best available: iSpring WGB32B-PFKS PFAS & Heavy Metals Whole House Filter, the best fit here; nothing in this group is certified yet.

Filters for the lead found in Atlanta water
PickProductDetails and priceCertificationWhy it’s listedLink
★ Best availableWhole-houseiSpring WGB32B-PFKS PFAS & Heavy Metals Whole House FilteriSpring · It does not reduce total dissolved solids or soften hard water, and its PFAS result comes from SGS lab testing rather than an NSF/ANSI certification.Use code REFISPRING at checkout: 10% off your first iSpring order.Price$$$Brand lab-tested, not independently certified for leadSee the evidenceCheck price at iSpring

Also: PFAS picks →

PurityMap earns a commission from these links. "Best choice" and "Budget pick" go to certified products first; commission never decides them. As an Amazon Associate, PurityMap earns from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure.

Don’t misread thisA city-wide result does not tell you your tap result

A reported city-wide lead concentration is not a measurement of the water coming from every household tap. Lead can enter water through service lines, faucets, fixtures and plumbing materials. “Atlanta reported 1.4 µg/L” does not mean your water has 1.4 µg/L.

Want to know what’s in your water?Test your tap →
Results as a table1 result with limit, status, sample date and source
Lead results for ATLANTA (PWSID GA1210001), Atlanta, GA
ContaminantResultLimitStatusSampledSource
Lead (90th percentile)1.4 µg/L15 µg/L federal action levelBelow the listed reference2022–2024 monitoring periodLead & Copper Rule 90th-percentile: ATLANTA (GA1210001) (opens in a new tab)
Questions

Lead in Atlanta water, answered

Sources used for this analysis3 sources
  1. Publisher: US EPA SDWIS
  2. Record: State SDWIS Compliance Record
  3. Date: 2026-07-09
  4. Measurement: Lead (90th percentile) 1.4 µg/L
  5. Benchmark: 15 µg/L federal action level
  1. Publisher: US EPA
  2. Record: UCMR5 Analytical Results
  3. Date: 2026-01-15
  4. Measurement: not on record
  5. Benchmark: not on record
City of Atlanta Dept. of Watershed Management 2025 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)View ↗ City of Atlanta Dept. of Watershed Management 2025 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) (opens in a new tab)
  1. Publisher: City of Atlanta Dept. of Watershed Management
  2. Record: Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
  3. Date: 2025-01-01
  4. Measurement: not on record
  5. Benchmark: not on record
Is there lead in Atlanta tap water?

ATLANTA's most recent lead 90th-percentile result (2022–2024) was 1.4 µg/L, below the 15 µg/L action level. It comes from sampled homes; your own pipes decide what reaches your tap.

Does Atlanta have lead service lines?

In EPA's service line inventory (2026Q2), ATLANTA reported 0 lead service lines, 0 galvanized lines requiring replacement and 43,429 of unknown material, out of 184,665 lines in total. Unknown lines have not yet been identified and may include lead.

How much lead was detected in Atlanta water?

1.4 µg/L at the 90th percentile of the homes ATLANTA sampled under the Lead and Copper Rule (2022–2024).

Is Atlanta's lead level below the legal limit?

It is below the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead has no MCL: the action level is a treatment trigger, and EPA's health goal for lead is zero.

Can my home have more lead than the city report shows?

Yes. Lead usually enters water from service lines, solder and fixtures between the main and your tap, so one home can measure higher than the citywide figure. Only a test of your own tap shows it.

How do I know if my home has a lead service line?

Ask ATLANTA whether your address appears in its service line inventory, which utilities must publish. You can also look where the water pipe enters your home: lead pipe is dull grey, soft, and shows shiny metal when scratched gently.

How do I test my Atlanta tap water?

Use a state-certified lab for an exact number, or a screening kit for a quick range. For lead, take a first-draw sample: water that has sat in the pipes for at least six hours.

What filter removes lead from Atlanta water?

One whose current certification names lead for the exact model: NSF/ANSI 53 (carbon) or NSF/ANSI 58 (reverse osmosis). Until then, run the cold tap for a few minutes after water has sat for hours, and use only cold water for drinking and cooking.

What certification should I look for in a lead filter?

NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 with lead listed for the exact model, checked in the certifier's listing (NSF, WQA or IAPMO).

Should I replace my lead service line?

If your home has one, replacing it removes the main source of lead. Ask ATLANTA first; many utilities replace these lines for free or share the cost.