Water Test Results

Live in Montreal?
Concerned about lead in your water?

What the city is saying

In late 2019, the city of Montreal sent out notices to residents that may be living in a building equipped with a drinking water service line made of lead.

The city plans to replace the public portion of the connection, with the aim to eliminate all lead service connections by 2030.

Considering the health hazards linked to lead exposure, the city advises residents to install an NSF/ANSI 53 Certified device to reduce lead exposure in your water.

The World Health Organization states that that there is no known 'safe' blood lead concentration.

Lead poisoning and health - article by WHO

Why AquaNinja

We realized that many of our friends and family had installed filters that did not effectively remove lead, either due to misunderstanding or false marketing.

As such, we've provided a handful of residences in lead-susceptible areas with a water testing kit.

AquaNinja believes that safe drinking water is an important part of a happy and healthy life. We strive to provide the residents of Montreal with a high-quality and worry-free solution.

Why this particular filter for your home ↓

Why Specifically NSF/ANSI 53 Certification

"I've read that NSF 61 and NSF 372 are effective in filtering lead, so why do you insist on NSF 53 certified filters?"

NSF 61 & NSF 372 are certifications given to components that make up part of a water filter. There are currently a lot of white-labelled filters that have been assembled from parts and sold as a lead-removal solution. They are typically more affordable because they do not get fully third-party tested for effectiveness.

An NSF 53 certified filter can be more expensive, but you are assured that all components of the filter have been third-party tested, and is an effective device for lead-removal.

All filters installed by AquaNinja for lead-removal are NSF 53 certified.

View full list of NSF 53 certified filter on National Sanitation Foundation's official website →

Why is Flow Rate Important and How Does it Impact Lead Removal?

Most kitchen faucets have a flow rate of between 2.2 and 3.5 gallons per minute (gpm).

You'll notice that a lot of easy-to-install under-the-counter filters require a separate drinking water faucet, with flow rates at around 0.5 - 0.7 gpm.

For most filters, lead is removed from drinking water via absorption by the filter material. Depending on the filter material, the water needs to be in contact for a set amount of time to ensure all lead have been removed. This is the reason why a lot of water filters require you to install a dedicated faucet for drinking water.

We've often seen friends install a lead-removal filter without respecting the flow rate listed by the manufacturer. As the water is passing through the filter too quickly, it is impossible to effectively remove lead.

The water filter installed by AquaNinja has a flow rate of 2.0 gpm and does not require a dedicated faucet.

Why Should I Care About Filter Material

As mentioned previously, lead is removed via absorption from the filter material. Flow rate is significantly impacted depending on the material used.

Carbon filters are the most effective material due to its large surface area.

However, not all carbon filters are created equally.

· Granular carbon filters are inferior due to its possibility of 'channelling'. Channelling occurs when water forms channel in the carbon, thereby reducing the water contact with the surface area of the carbon.

· Carbon blocks are most effective as they are resistant to 'channelling'.

The filters we chose for lead removal uses carbon blocks to deliver the safest, drinking quality water.

Read more about Lead solutions →