• To be safe, check with your veterinarian and/or give your pet filtered water. Changes in pet behavior because of drinking lead‐contaminated water are not likely to be noticeable. 
• In general, pets are more likely to obtain lead because of eating an object containing much higher lead levels (such as lead paint chips or an improperly glazed ceramic food or water bowl). 
• If you are concerned about your pet, you can provide them with filtered drinking water.

Yes. Bathing and showering are safe for you and your children. Human skin does not absorb lead in water at levels that cause a health concern. Be sure to avoid swallowing a large amount of water when brushing teeth.

There are many options for filters, and your refrigerator may have a built-in filter and ice maker. You should only use a filter that is certified to NSF Standard 53 to remove lead for any water you consume, including ice. Denver Water is distributing pitcher filters with this certification. For guidance on how to see if your refrigerator filter is certified to remove lead, see NSF International’s guide to certified filtration devices. 

It is safe to use unfiltered water on your garden vegetables and rinsing food prior to eating. Plants and vegetables have tissues that serve as a natural filtration system which prevent them from picking up any traces of lead. For more information on other potential sources of lead in the home, please visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s website.

Heating or boiling water does not remove lead. The best way to reduce your risk of lead exposure is to use a filter certified to remove lead for drinking water, preparing infant formula or cooking. If you have a lead service line, Denver Water provides you with a certified filter for these purposes. We also recommend that you flush your water after not using the water in the home for a few hours (run cold water from the kitchen or bathroom faucet for five minutes).

• Your home or business may be one of the estimated 60,000-64,000 properties in Denver Water’s service area that has a lead water service line — the pipe that brings water from the water main in the street to the plumbing in your home. Because you may have a lead service line at your home or business, you are part of Denver Water’s Lead Reduction Program. The program will replace customer-owned lead service lines with copper service lines at no direct charge to you. When initially launched, all lead service lines were slated to be removed by 2035. 
• The Environmental Protection Agency’s action level for lead in drinking water is 15 parts per billion (ppb). To put it in context, one part per billion is like one dollar out of one billion dollars.
• It is important to note, however, that the action level is not a health indicator. Lead builds up in the body over time, so ongoing exposure, even at low levels, may eventually cause health effects. 
• Infants and children are more vulnerable to lead than adults, whether from drinking water or other sources. Formula-fed infants are especially vulnerable to lead in drinking water because tap water is used to make up 90% of their diet. 
• We recommend following these steps to reduce risk for all members of your household and going to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website for more information on lead exposure. If you are concerned about the health of your children, please talk with your pediatrician. 
• In addition, a free water pitcher and filters are being provided to all customers who may have a lead service line to use up to six months after their service line is replaced. You should have received a packet of materials from Denver Water outlining the Lead Reduction Program. If you haven’t received this packet, please contact Denver Water Customer Care at 303-893-2444.
   

• Filtered water should be used for drinking (including making tea and coffee), cooking food where water is a base ingredient or absorbed into the food (such as rice, beans and soup) and preparing infant formula. 
• It is fine to use non-filtered water for all other uses (such as showering, bathing, laundry, irrigation, dishwashing, etc.).

• Please use the water pitcher and filter and maintain it according to the manufacturer’s instructions until six months after we replace your lead service line. 
• Denver Water is working through our service area, replacing service lines on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis, prioritizing those communities at-risk from lead exposure, particularly infants and children. 

Your water pitcher needs a replacement filter every six months to maintain effectiveness. We will regularly mail you free replacement filters to use until six months after your lead service line has been replaced.

• If you are in the Lead Reduction Program, you should receive a free replacement filter in the mail approximately every six months. If you need a replacement filter or pitcher outside of this schedule, please let us know!
• Please fill out this form if your home is enrolled in the Lead Reduction Program and you need a new and/or replacement water pitcher or filter. You can also contact Denver Water’s Customer Care at 303-893-2444 or email lead@denverwater.org.

• There are a lot of different water filters out there. Denver Water is distributing Brita water filters certified to NSF Standard 53 to remove lead. We recommend you check NSF’s guide to certified filtration devices to confirm whether your filter is certified to remove lead.  
• If you would like to opt out of receiving filter replacements, please contact Denver Water Customer Care at 303-893-2444 or email us at lead@denverwater.org so we can update our records and remove you from receiving replacement filters. We are required to ask you whether you have other water filters in your home and, if so, if they are certified to remove lead.

To confirm whether or not you are enrolled in the Lead Reduction Program, please check out our lead service line inventory map. If your property is identified as “Confirmed” or “Likely” to have a lead service line and you have not received a water pitcher and filter, please fill out this form. You can also contact Denver Water’s Customer Care at 303-893-2444 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or email us at lead@denverwater.org.

• Call Denver Water Customer Care at 303-893-2444 to discuss the specific filtering needs in your home. We will work with you to determine what additional support you may require until your lead service line is replaced, and for six months beyond. 
• You can also request additional pitchers and filters online by filling out this form. Please note that we currently are only able to provide water pitcher filters. If you are looking into purchasing a different type of filter for your facility, make sure the filter is certified to remove lead to NSF Standard 53.
   

Denver Water is sending a pitcher, filter and replacement filters directly to customers living in all properties enrolled in the program. If the property you currently live in is enrolled, but you did not receive a pitcher or filter, please fill out this form. You can also contact Denver Water’s Customer Care at 303-893-2444 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or email us at lead@denverwater.org. As the program moves forward, we will also be working with leasing offices to ensure new tenants have pitchers and filters.

If you received a broken pitcher or filter, please fill out this form. You can also contact Denver Water’s Customer Care at 303-893-2444 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or email us at lead@denverwater.org.

• Check out this short video for a general guide on proper filter use. 
• To help ensure proper filter use, make sure you are closely reading and following the manufacturer's instructions that came with the pitcher filter as they relate to preparing, using and maintaining your filter. Here are a couple things you can check:
  • Did you condition the filter as the manufacturer’s instructions indicate prior to installation into the pitcher?
  • Has the filter been changed in the last six months or is the replacement indicator light on the pitcher flashing red? 
• If after reviewing the video and the manufacturer’s instructions, you believe your pitcher filter is not functioning properly, please contact Customer Care 303-893-2444 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or email us at lead@denverwater.org.

Yes, you can recycle your Brita pitcher and filters through the Brita Recycling Program. Visit terracycle.com for more information. Please be aware this is a popular program through TerraCycle; there may be a waitlist to sign up.