Warning of a particular risk to children and pregnant women, a U.S. agency is urging consumers to replace certain faucets made in China.
Walmart Just Announced a Recall on 9 Kitchen Products for Toxicity Concerns
Published on May 16, 2025
Tap water quality in the U.S. has been a hotly debated issue. Just this week, an AP report revealed that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a plan to roll back some restrictions around “forever chemicals” whose presence has been increasingly found in drinking water.
In part due to this growing awareness, an estimated 91% of Americans now filter their home water, according to 2023 data from water filtration system company Aquasana—a percentage that has steadily grown in recent years. Though some water filters can remove lead, a new government alert published by Walmart Friday suggests your choice of kitchen or bathroom faucet could be depositing more lead into your drinking water.
Following an “enforcement sweep targeting dangerous faucets manufactured in China,” the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Wednesday announced a public warning related to nine types of faucets, which appear to be sold via such retailers as Amazon and Walmart.com, urging consumers to “immediately stop using and dispose of these faucets.”
The faucets “were tested and found to contain lead that can leach into water at levels that can be particularly harmful to infants, young children and pregnant women.”
“CPSC is taking extraordinary steps to protect Americans from toxic faucets that threaten our children,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman in the agency’s release.
While many manufacturers respond to such nature of concern with a voluntary recall, the CPSC reports this is not an official recall event because the faucet manufacturers have not yet agreed to enact one.
The CPSC provided the following faucet details, which were all sold on Amazon for between $30 and $70:
- VESLA HOME Kitchen Faucet, sold by VESLA HOME
- KZH Bathroom Faucet, sold by Yajie Sanitaryware
- CEINOL Bathroom Faucet, sold by CEINOL-USA
- Rainsworth Bathroom Faucet, sold by Le Chang SANITARY
- NICTIE Bathroom Faucet, sold by NICTIE
- HGN Kitchen Faucet, sold by HGN Sanitaryware
- Qomolangma Kitchen Faucet, sold by Qomolangma Sanitary Ware
- Kicimpro Kitchen Faucet, sold by Kicimpro
- VFAUOSIT Kitchen Faucet, sold by Whisper08
At press time, a brief search on Amazon’s website seemed to indicate that at least some the faucets may be still available for purchase.
However, says CPSC, “Many of these faucets lack branding or other source-identifying labels, and lack safety certifications.” The agency suggests checking your Amazon online order history.
If you’re not able to replace one of these faucets immediately, CPSC encourages running your tap water for 15 seconds before using.
Lead exposure for children is an especially large health concern, as health experts warn that “No safe blood level has been identified for young children.”
The EPA cautions that “even low levels of lead in the blood of children” can result in the following health concerns:
- Behavior and learning problems
- Lower IQ
- Hyperactivity
- Slowed growth
- Anemia
- Hearing problems
Lead exposure is also a concern for adults. The EPA “has set the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water at zero because lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels.” Cardiovascular effects, decreased kidney function, and reproductive problems in both men and women all are possible effects from lead exposure in adults.
Lead can also be passed through breast milk, warns the EPA, and because “lead can accumulate in our bodies over time, where it is stored in bones along with calcium,” pregnant women can unknowingly release lead, which can result in reduced fetus growth or premature birth.
The above CPSC link also offers safety suggestions for consumers regarding their faucets and tap water, including purchasing faucets “that comply with NSF/ANSI Standard 61, which sets the criteria for product safety, including maximum allowable levels of lead and other contaminants.”
For daily wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy by Reader’s Digest newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
- More Than 50,000 Gallons of Ice Cream Recalled Nationwide
- Nearly 1,500 Bottles of a Bone & Joint Product Recalled Nationwide
- More Than 150,000 of a Recognizable Cooler Brand Have Been Recalled Nationwide and in Canada and Mexico
- Listeria Outbreak with Reported Illnesses Linked To Sandwiches, Snacks, and Salads in At Least 4 States
