Lead removal
Lead-free at the kitchen tap, even with old service lines.
How it works.
Lead in residential water almost always comes from the household plumbing — pre-1986 lead solder joints, brass fixtures cast before 2014, lead service lines under older parts of Medford and Ashland. The fix is point-of-use, certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead reduction or NSF/ANSI 58 for RO. We test first-draw and flushed samples to confirm the source.
Lead is a potent neurotoxin with no safe exposure threshold for children. The federal Lead and Copper Rule sets an action level of 15 ppb at the 90th-percentile household tap — but the EPA's 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) lower that action level to 10 ppb and require utilities to replace all known lead service lines within 10 years. The contamination source is almost never the city's source water; it's the household plumbing downstream of the meter: lead solder banned in 1986, brass fixtures with up to 8% lead before the 2014 federal "lead-free" definition, and lead service lines installed before the 1950s.
Diagnosis takes two samples: a first-draw sample after water has sat in pipes overnight (highest lead reading) and a flushed sample after running for 5 minutes (representative of the city's source water). If the first-draw is high and the flushed is low, the source is your plumbing.
Treatment options at the household level: NSF/ANSI 53 certified point-of-use filters (carbon block with lead-rated media, certified at the cartridge level), NSF/ANSI 58 certified RO at the kitchen tap, and replacement of lead-bearing fixtures or service lines as the permanent fix. Pitcher and faucet filters certified to NSF/ANSI 53 also work for a single tap.
Symptoms we see most often
- Home built before 1986 with original solder joints
- Brass fixtures installed before 2014
- Pre-1950s home with possible lead service line
- Infant or pregnant woman in household
Every lead removal job
- First-draw and flushed lab lead samples
- NSF/ANSI 53 point-of-use filter or NSF/ANSI 58 RO
- Optional fixture replacement as permanent fix
- Confirmation retest after install
Special considerations by city
Every city in our service area has its own water chemistry, source, and history. Pick your city for the specific numbers, regulations, and recommendations that shape how lead removal should be configured at your address.
Eight cities served across the Rogue and Klamath basins. Tap a row to expand.
Medford
Medford Water itself meets the Lead and Copper Rule action levels at the source — Big Butte Springs and the Duff Rogue River plant don't carry lead. The household risk is in pre-1986 homes with original lead solder joints and brass fixtures cast before 2014 (when the federal "lead-free" definition tightened to under 0.25%). Pre-1950s homes in older Medford neighborhoods may also have lead service lines.
The fix is a first-draw and flushed sample to confirm the source, then either an NSF/ANSI 53 certified point-of-use filter at the kitchen or an NSF/ANSI 58 RO. Replacement of lead-bearing fixtures or service lines is the permanent solution.
Ashland
Ashland's source water (Reeder Reservoir) is lead-free. The household risk is pre-1986 homes — and Ashland has plenty of historic housing stock — with original lead solder joints and brass fixtures cast before the 2014 federal "lead-free" tightening.
The 2024 EPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) lower the action level to 10 ppb and require utilities to replace all known lead service lines within 10 years. At the household level, a first-draw and flushed sample confirms the source — and an NSF/ANSI 53 point-of-use filter or NSF/ANSI 58 RO at the kitchen is the standard residential fix while household plumbing is upgraded.
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is one of southern Oregon's oldest towns — incorporated in 1860 — and its historic downtown homes include the kind of pre-1986 plumbing where lead solder and lead-bearing brass fixtures are most likely. Medford Water's source water itself is lead-free; the risk is in the household.
A first-draw plus flushed lead sample confirms whether the source is your plumbing. Treatment options are an NSF/ANSI 53 point-of-use filter, NSF/ANSI 58 RO at the kitchen, or fixture replacement as the permanent fix.
Three visits. Done right.
- 01
Free on-site test
We test your tap or well for the contaminants that actually apply to your city and geology — not a generic 14-panel sticker.
- 02
Right-sized install
Flow rates, household size, and symptom priorities decide the system. Sourced from certified NSF manufacturers — never a one-size pitch.
- 03
Annual checkup
We come back once a year to swap media, retest the water, and catch anything small before it grows.