Does Waterdrop remove lead?

Last reviewed July 2026.

Some Waterdrop filters do — and some don't. The model number decides. A certified lead claim is made under NSF/ANSI 53, the health-effects standard, and certification is per model. The Waterdrop models marked ✓ below carry a lead claim you can verify in a public listing. The others are certified for other things — chlorine, taste and odour, or other 53 contaminants — but not for lead.

Model by model

WDS-F27: NSF's NSF/ANSI 53 claim set for the Waterdrop EFF-6027S / WDS-F27 lists lead reduction, with cyst, benzene, carbofuran and endrin. Source: NSF listing, Qingdao Ecopure Filter (Waterdrop), read 2026-10-02.

WDP-F27: NSF's NSF/ANSI 53 claim set for the Waterdrop EFF-6027S / WDP-F27 lists lead reduction, with cyst, benzene, carbofuran and endrin. Source: NSF listing, Qingdao Ecopure Filter (Waterdrop), read 2026-10-02.

WDP-UKF8001: NSF's NSF/ANSI 53 claim set for the Waterdrop EFF-6007S / WDP-UKF8001 lists lead reduction, with cyst, benzene, carbofuran and endrin. Source: NSF listing, Qingdao Ecopure Filter (Waterdrop), read 2026-10-02.

WD-F38: NSF lists the WD-F38 under NSF/ANSI 42 only. With no NSF/ANSI 53 listing it carries no certified lead claim. Source: NSF listing, Qingdao Ecopure Filter (Waterdrop), read 2026-10-02.

WDS-F27: NSF-listed under Qingdao Ecopure Filter Co. to NSF/ANSI 53 (health effects, incl. lead) at a rated capacity of 300 gallons, plus 42. Aftermarket, and genuinely certified — Waterdrop holds hundreds of NSF listings. Retail listings also cite NSF/ANSI 372, which is a lead-free MATERIALS standard (the plastic doesn't leach lead) and is NOT a filtration claim — we exclude it from the standards column.

WDP-F27: The 'Plus' (WDP) line adds NSF/ANSI 401 on top of 42 and 53. Its 401 claims are pharmaceuticals, BPA and nonylphenol, not PFOA or PFOS. NSF-listed at 300 gallons, same as the standard WDS line. Same brand, same fridge, one extra standard: the Plus/Standard split is Waterdrop's version of Brita's Elite/Standard split, and it is easy to buy the wrong one.

WDP-UKF8001: NSF-listed under Qingdao Ecopure Filter Co. as EFF-6007S / WDP-UKF8001, rated 300 gallons, with NSF/ANSI 53 reduction claims for lead, cyst, benzene, mercury, carbofuran and endrin, plus 42 and 401. Its 401 claims are pharmaceuticals, BPA and nonylphenol, with no PFOA or PFOS (NSF listing read 2026-10-02). Replaces Whirlpool everydrop Filter 4 / Maytag UKF8001.

WD-F38: Sold as 'NSF 42 and 372 certified' — which sounds comprehensive and is not. NSF/ANSI 42 is chlorine, taste and odour; NSF/ANSI 372 only certifies that the housing MATERIAL is lead-free, and is not a filtration claim at all. There is no NSF/ANSI 53 listing, so this filter carries NO certified lead claim — while the everydrop EDR1RXD1 it replaces holds 42, 53 AND 401. Swapping to it to save money silently gives up your lead certification.

What the certified claim costs to run

Certification is per model, and so is the running cost. The cheapest Waterdrop model carrying the claim is the WDS-F27 — Samsung DA29-00020B replacement (4-pack) (WDS-F27) at about $9.00 per filter for a certified 300 gallons — $0.030 per certified gallon.

That capacity is what the certifier tested to, not a marketing estimate. For one person drinking about half a gallon a day it is roughly 20 months per filter; for a family of four, closer to 5 months. Run past the rated capacity and the claim no longer applies — the media is exhausted even though the filter still passes water.

Within the same brand the spread is real: the Plus WDP-UKF8001 — everydrop Filter 4 / EDR4RXD1 replacement works out at $0.117 per certified gallon, 3.9× the cheapest. Same claim, different money.

How to check this yourself

Nothing here needs to be taken on trust. Waterdrop's certifications are held by NSF, and each keeps a public database you can search by brand or model number. Look up the model printed on the filter — not the box, not the retail listing — and read which standards the entry lists. A model certified to 42 only will say exactly that.

Direct listings: WDS-F27 · WDP-F27 · WDP-UKF8001 · WD-F38

If a figure on this page disagrees with the certifier's listing, the listing wins. Tell us and we will correct it.

Why 53 is the number that matters

NSF/ANSI 42 is aesthetics — chlorine, taste, odour. 53 is health effects, and it is where the lead claim lives — but only where the model's 53 claim set names lead. A filter can be honestly "NSF certified" and still filter nothing but taste, and a 53 listing can cover cadmium, copper and mercury without lead — see 42 vs 53 vs 401.

Find your filter by part number

Replacing a Samsung or LG filter? On NSF's listing, Waterdrop's plain WD versions carry NSF/ANSI 42 only, while the WDS and WDP versions add the 53 lead claim; the part-number pages show which Waterdrop model matches each original part.

Related: Is Waterdrop NSF certified? · every filter we track, ranked by cost per certified gallon

We do not test filters — we index what accredited certifiers publish, with attribution, and make no health or treatment claims. A certification covers a specific model against a specific standard; it is not a general seal of quality. We are not affiliated with NSF International.

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