Filter First
Introduction
Ubiquity of lead-bearing plumbing
Limitations of corrosion control treatment
the meaning of a water utility’s compliance with the federal Lead and Copper Rule (LCR)
Long-term solution to lead in tap water
Short-term solution to lead in tap water
Resources
Because Health (2019): “Questions for parents to ask schools and school districts that use tap water for drinking and/or cooking”
District of Columbia: “D.C. Law 22-21. Childhood Lead Exposure Prevention Amendment Act of 2017”
District of Columbia: “D.C. Code § 7-2051, enacted by D.C. Law 22-21 (effective Sept. 23, 2017), as amended by D.C. Law 24-255 (effective Feb. 23, 2023)”
Elkay (undated): “Meet Filter First Requirements With Ease”
Environment America & US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) (2019): “Get the Lead Out: Ensuring Safe Drinking Water for Our Children at School”
Environmental Protection Agency (2024): “Consumer Tool for Identifying Point-of-Use and Pitcher Filters Certified to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water”
Natural Resources Defense Council (2020): “Get the Lead Out of Drinking Water in Schools and Child Care Centers”
Natural Resources Defense Council (2023): “Michigan Adopts Filter First Protections for Kids”
Natural Resources Defense Council (2020): “Michigan Filter First Cost Estimate”
Natural Resources Defense Council (2020): “Model State Legislation: ‘Get the Lead Out of School Drinking Water Act’”
Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) (2021): “Get the Lead Out: Safe drinking water at school”
Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) (2019): “Get the Lead Out: Ensuring safe drinking water for our children at school”
Safe Water Engineering (2024): “Is my faucet lead free? Understanding new ‘lead-free’ requirements for faucets and household plumbing”
State of Michigan: “Clean Drinking Water Access Act: Act 154 of 2023”
State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) (2024): “EGLE rolls out Filter First program targeting clean drinking water in schools”
State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) (undated): “Filter First”
State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) (2025): “Michigan Filter First Faucet Filter Guidance Filtration for Classrooms or Other Necessary
Locations Where a Filtered Bottle Filling Station Cannot Be Installed”
Zurn-Elkay (2023): “Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Expands Filtration Capabilities with Launch of Combined Lead and PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) Filter”
The science
Harvard School of Public Health. (2024). Case Study Brief: Denver Water Filter Program.
Tully, J., M. Schock, S. Shilling, V. Bosscher, D. Lytle, S. Harmon, and C. Bennett-Stamper. 2024. An evaluation of properly operated NSF/ANSI-53 Pb certified drinking water filters in Benton Harbor, MI. Journal of Water and Health doi: 10.2166/wh.2024.231.
Pan, W. and D. E. Giammar. 2022. Point-of-Use Filters for Lead Removal from Tap Water: Opportunities and Challenges.
Parks, J. et al. 2018. Potential Challenges Meeting the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Lead in School Drinking Water Goal of 1 μg/L.
Wu, C. et al. 2017. The microbial colonization of activated carbon block point-of-use (PoU) filters with and without chlorinated phenol disinfection by-products.
EPA. 2016. Flint, MI: Filter Challenge Assessment.
public Calls for Filter-First approach to lead in water
Saff, R., D. Axelrad, H. Kessler. 2024. There are many reasons to filter your Tallahassee tap water (Opinion). Tallahassee Democrat (Dec 22).