Pittsburgh Water Alert

What's in your tap water should concern you.

Pittsburgh's water technically meets federal minimums — but "legal" doesn't mean safe. Your tap contains chromium-6 at 27× health guidelines, cancer-linked disinfection byproducts, and PFAS "forever chemicals" that accumulate in your body for life. A reverse osmosis system removes up to 99% of it. We'll have one installed under your sink this week.

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27×
Chromium-6 detected above EWG health guidelines in Pittsburgh tap water
Source: Clean Air and Water, 2025
75%
Of Pittsburgh-area river samples tested positive for PFAS "forever chemicals" in 2024
Source: Three Rivers Waterkeeper, 2024
25,000
Lead service lines in Pittsburgh at program start — thousands still active in neighborhoods
Source: PWSA

What's in your water

Three threats your pitcher filter can't stop

Pittsburgh's water passes federal tests. But "compliant" just means within the legal limit — not harmless. Here's what's still flowing through your pipes right now.

Critical

Lead & heavy metals

Pittsburgh had roughly 25,000 lead service lines at the start of its replacement program — thousands remain active. Lead leaches into water at pipe joints and old home fixtures, especially in homes built before 1986, regardless of how clean the water was when it left the treatment plant.

  • Permanent brain damage in children
  • Learning disabilities and behavioral disorders
  • Developmental delays in infants
  • Kidney damage in adults over time
  • No safe level of exposure — period
Critical

Chromium-6 & disinfection byproducts

Pittsburgh tap water tests at 27 times the EWG health guideline for chromium-6 — the same chemical at the center of the Erin Brockovich case. The chlorine used to treat the water also reacts with organic material to create byproducts like chloroform and trihalomethanes. No federal limit on chromium-6 currently exists.

  • Linked to stomach and liver cancer
  • Bladder cancer (trihalomethanes)
  • Reproductive harm and hormonal disruption
  • Skin and respiratory irritation
  • Risks compound over years of daily exposure
High concern

PFAS "forever chemicals"

Three Rivers Waterkeeper found PFAS in nearly 75% of Pittsburgh-area water samples in 2024. The highest readings — over 400 parts per trillion — were near Pittsburgh International Airport. These chemicals are called "forever chemicals" because they accumulate in body fat over decades and never fully leave.

  • Linked to kidney, liver, and thyroid cancers
  • Immune system suppression
  • Harm to fetal development in pregnancy
  • Hormonal disruption across all ages
  • Builds up silently over a lifetime

Filter comparison

Not all filters are created equal

Contaminant Pitcher (Brita) Faucet filter Reverse Osmosis (Our System)
Chlorine & taste
Lead & heavy metals~
Chromium-6
PFAS forever chemicals
Disinfection byproducts~~
Nitrates & fluoride
Bacteria & microplastics
Adds healthy minerals back built-in remineralization
% of contaminants removed~40%~60%Up to 99%
NSF certified~~ fully certified

Get clean water installed this week.

We match you with a licensed, insured Pittsburgh plumber who will install a certified reverse osmosis system under your sink — usually in under two hours. No pressure, no upsell, no nonsense.

NSF-certified system that removes up to 99% of contaminants including lead, PFAS, and chromium-6

Professional install by a licensed local Pittsburgh plumber

Includes a built-in remineralization stage for great-tasting water

Low-maintenance — we'll walk you through everything

We call you within a few hours. No spam, ever.

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We'll call you at the time you selected. Expect to hear from a licensed Pittsburgh plumber within a few hours.

In the meantime — you might want to skip the tap water.