Utilities forced to replace lead drinking water pipes under proposed EPA rules
Utilities forced to replace lead drinking water pipes under proposed EPA rules NBC News
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EPA Proposal Aims to Remove All Lead Drinking Water Pipes in the US
A proposal announced Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency aims to remove all lead drinking water pipes across the country within a decade.
Introduction
The lead and copper rule improvements would require utilities to replace lead service lines within 10 years regardless of the lead levels that register in water samples. The proposal is designed to prevent public health crises around contaminated drinking water — such as what occurred in 2014 in Flint, Michigan — from happening again in the future.
Addressing Disproportionate Impact
Contaminated drinking water disproportionately affects poor communities and communities of color. As such, access to safe drinking water remains a cornerstone of public health and environmental justice.
Strictest Lead Regulations in Decades
The rule would be the strictest lead regulations in more than three decades, The Associated Press reported.
Impact on Children and Communities
“A game changer for kids and communities, EPA’s proposed new lead and copper rule would help ensure that we will never again see the preventable tragedy of a city, or a child, poisoned by their pipes,” Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician in Flint and the associate dean for public health at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, said in a statement.
Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals
The EPA said the proposal is a key step toward President Joe Biden’s goal of removing all lead pipes in the country and is part of the administration’s broader push to limit lead exposure, which can damage the brain and nervous system, among other health consequences.
Key Provisions of the Proposal
- The rule would require water systems to replace a minimum of 10% of their lead pipes each year.
- It aims to improve sampling protocols.
- It would lower the lead action level in drinking water from 15 micrograms per liter to 10 micrograms per liter.
Public Comments and Finalization
The EPA will accept public comments for 60 days and will hold a virtual public hearing on January 16. After that, it aims to have a final version of the rule ready by fall next year.
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