Yes, a little. Federal law allows a lead-free faucet to contain up to a 0.25 percent weighted average of lead across its wetted surfaces, and brass faucets still carry trace amounts. NSF/ANSI 61 certification means the faucet meets that lead limit and has passed leaching tests for other contaminants. Look for the mark before you buy.
What the 0.25 percent rule covers
EPA's lead-free page spells out the definition: a weighted average of 0.25% lead "calculated across the wetted surfaces of a pipe, pipe fitting, plumbing fitting, and fixture." It is an average over the whole product, not a ceiling on every part. Brass is the usual body material, and brass holds trace lead as an alloying element. Delta says as much in explaining its Prop 65 labels: products that carry the label "include components made with brass, which contains small but detectible amounts of lead."
Three practical points follow.
- The rule targets plumbing that supplies water people consume. The Act's prohibition covers fixtures in residential plumbing providing water for human consumption. EPA lists exemptions for toilets, bidets, urinals, fill valves, flushometer valves, tub fillers and shower valves, plus fittings used exclusively for non-potable service such as irrigation or outdoor watering.
- Manufacturers must certify. EPA says manufacturers and importers have to certify that their products meet the lead free requirement, and the Act prohibits introducing products that are not lead free into commerce unless the use is for manufacturing or industrial purposes.
- A Prop 65 warning is not the same as a failed standard. Delta states that its products meet or exceed the requirements of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, and ties its label to the lead found in brass components.
What NSF/ANSI 61 and 372 mean
Two standards matter on a faucet's packaging or body. EPA's identification guide puts them side by side:
| Mark | What EPA says it indicates |
|---|---|
| NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 | The product meets the lead free requirement: a weighted average of 0.25% lead or less across wetted surfaces |
| NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 | The same lead free compliance, and also that the product has met leachate requirements for contaminants (metals and non-metals) |
| NSF/ANSI 61-G (Annex G) | Retired, but may still be found on some products; it covers the same lead free requirement plus Standard 61 |
So when someone asks what NSF/ANSI 61 means for a faucet, the answer is two tests in one: the lead content cap, plus testing of what leaches into water. A 372 mark alone covers lead content only. EPA notes that since October 2017 Standard 61 requires compliance with 372 for products that are not exempt, and that older products made before that update can still be on store shelves. If a faucet shows only "NSF 61," EPA says to check the data performance sheet, the certifier's online listing, or contact the certifier.
Marks are not required on every product. EPA's guide notes that some packaging and products carry no mark because of limited space, and says contacting the manufacturer is the best way to confirm in those cases. Before you buy, look on the box, the faucet body or the spout for the certifier's mark and the standard number next to it. We cover how to read these markings on valves in NSF 61 versus 372 on a lead-free valve.
Is the faucet the source of lead in my water?
It can be, which is why this question comes up. EPA says that among homes without lead service lines, "the most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated brass faucets and plumbing with lead solder," and that lead pipes are more likely in homes built before 1986. A faucet from before the 0.25 percent rule is therefore a more likely suspect than a new one.
You cannot see, taste or smell lead. EPA says testing is the only sure way to tell. If you want to check, our guide to testing your home's water for lead explains how.
What lowers lead at the tap, whatever the faucet
EPA lists several steps that work no matter how old your faucet is.
- 1Clean the aerator. EPA says sediment, debris and lead particles can collect in the screen, and lead particles caught there can get into your water. Phoenix's hard water makes the screen a place where mineral scale piles up too, so cleaning a low-flow aerator does double duty.
- 2Use cold water for drinking, cooking and making baby formula. Boiling does not remove lead.
- 3Run the water before drinking if it has sat in the pipes. EPA suggests running the tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or running a load of dishes.
- 4Use a filter certified to remove lead, with cold water only and on the schedule in the directions.
Replacing a faucet: what to do
If you are buying a faucet for a kitchen or bath, choose one with NSF/ANSI 61 or 372 on the product or listing, keep the box or paperwork, and install it with the supply lines checked at the same time. Swapping a faucet is a job many homeowners handle, and our guide to replacing a kitchen faucet walks through it. If the shutoffs are stuck, the supply lines are old or the sink needs other work, a licensed plumber can handle it through our residential plumbing service.