Supersized water and ice kiosks continue to pop up in the Midwest. The owners of these standalone kiosks advertise their products as safer and purer than tap water.
But researchers from the University of Iowa found that water purchased from these kiosks in several states contained lead. In at least one Kansas location, the level of lead was twice the level deemed safe by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The majority of the tested kiosks used a process called reverse osmosis to remove fluoride, residual disinfectant and nitrates.
Iowa researchers discovered the lead was the most pronounced in the plumbing after reverse osmosis treatment. The treatment itself caused the water to be corrosive, and the lead from the plumbing leached into the water. This concerned the researchers because reverse osmosis forces water through a membrane, creating treated water, according to the EPA.
ACCORDING TO the published research, many kiosks source their water from the local municipal water supply.
David Cwiertny was one of the co-leaders for the research. He said the plumbing was being sold to manufacturers as lead-free. But in combination with the use of reverse osmosis treatment, lead-free does not mean “zero lead,” he said.
“You really have to be careful when you mix reverse osmosis treated water with lead-free plumbing because I think we are finding pretty convincingly that that’s the combination that leads to lead release,” Cwiertny said.
Researchers sampled water from kiosks for metals such as tin, zinc, lead and copper. Their findings revealed that out of the 20 kiosks tested in six states, 15 contained traces of lead. Four brands of kiosks were tested by the researchers: Kooler Ice, Highland Pure Water & Ice, Twice the Ice and Polar Station.
Most kiosks had levels considered safe by federal regulators.
AT A KOOLER Ice kiosk in Baxter Springs, Kansas, the water contained lead at 19.1 parts per billion, almost double the EPA’s guidelines, which state that drinking water should have no more than 10 parts per billion.
Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause permanent brain damage in babies and children.
Christina Pacheco, assistant professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said there are no safe levels of lead exposure, particularly for children.
“When we look at the brain and the nervous system, it can disrupt brain development, which can result in learning difficulties, lower IQ, attention problems, memory issues and behavioral challenges,” Pacheco said.
Prolonged lead exposure in adults causes kidney damage, reduced sperm count in men and fertility issues in women. Lead exposure is also linked to some types of cancer.
The research was conducted in December 2023 and September 2024. Researchers tested kiosks in Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois and Arkansas during both research periods. They also did follow-up sampling in March 2025.
AN ICE AND water kiosk is a standalone, self-service machine that is about the size of a dump truck. The kiosks are typically located in parking lots near other businesses. The University of Iowa’s researchers found that “the kiosks are more likely to be located in non-white, lower socioeconomic areas.”
