Lead exposure from drinking water has been proved to cause severe damages of infants and children’s health, resulting in reduced IQ, learning disabilities, inattention, aggression and other behavioral problems. It is proved that there is no safe level of lead for Children’s developing nervous systems by World Health Organization and other organizations. Reducing lead exposure from drinking water is very critical, and more and more institutes have called for regulations limiting exposure of lead in drinking water. As a result of this trend toward lower and lower lead reduction goals, The NSF/ANSI/CAN61  released a stricter lead leaching standard for products that come into contact with drinking water.

In NSF/ANSI/CAN61 2009, plumbing endpoint devices that dispense drinking water such as faucets are allowed to leach lead within 5 micrograms (µg)  while other plumbing components such as connector hoses and small shut-off valves to be allowed within 3 µg .

In the NSF/ANSI/CAN61 2020, plumbing endpoint devices are only allowed to leach lead within 1 µg while other plumbing components not more than 0.5 µg.

It is optional to allow manufacturers time to comply for now. But it will be mandatory to meet this stricter requirements from Jan. 1, 2024 for products certified to the standard.

And it will be required to indicate compliance on the product literature and/or packaging to enable consumers to easily identify products with the reduced lead leaching limits.

In recognition of this need, the lead test statistic Q value , a statistical representation of the average dose of lead (in µg) which may leach from an endpoint device following overnight dwells during the first few weeks of product use,will be required to be labeled as below

”NSF/ANSI/CAN 61: Q ≤1” or “NSF/ANSI/CAN 61: Q ≤ 0.5”.

New lower requirements for maximum amount of lead leaching  into drinking water are important changes that add extra levels of protection for families,schools,and child care facilities. The procurement of  plumbing systems and materials, no matter governments, communities and individuals will lean to choose the lead free stainless steel faucets.

Faucet distributors should pay attention to this new requirements and adjust accordingly.