Article Summary –
President Biden announces a 10-year plan to replace lead pipes nationwide, with stricter EPA standards to reduce lead in drinking water. The initiative aims to prevent health issues related to lead exposure and is supported by $2.6 billion in funding. Critics worry about costs and implementation challenges.
A decade after the Flint, Michigan water crisis, President Joe Biden has set a 10-year deadline for U.S. cities to replace lead pipes, addressing lead contamination in drinking water. Biden is to announce the final EPA rule in Wisconsin during his presidential campaign, spotlighting safe drinking water—a priority for Vice President Kamala Harris. This rule replaces a more lenient standard from the Trump era, which lacked a mandate for universal pipe replacement.
Biden and Harris view clean water access as a “moral imperative,” stated EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “Over 9 million legacy lead pipes still deliver water to homes. Science shows no safe lead level in drinking water.” The new rule is the most significant update to lead-in-water standards in 30 years. Lead is a neurotoxin causing behavioral issues, brain damage, and elevated blood pressure.
EPA estimates the rule will prevent 900,000 low birthweight infants and up to 1,500 heart disease deaths annually. The rule mandates water systems keep lead levels below 10 parts per billion, reduced from 15 parts per billion. Systems must notify the public and reduce exposure if high levels are detected. Lead pipes impact low-income urban areas most, typically found in older industrial cities like Chicago, New York, and Milwaukee, where Biden will announce the rule.
The rule also changes lead measurement methods, potentially increasing cities and water systems identified with high lead levels. To aid compliance, the agency offers $2.6 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law and $35 million in competitive grants to reduce lead in water.
The 10-year initiative will start in three years, giving utilities time to prepare. Some cities with high pipe volumes may get extensions. Biden’s Milwaukee announcement is notable, as the city has the fifth-highest lead pipe count. Federal funds are expediting their pipe replacement, cutting the projected timeframe from 60 to 10 years.
Lead pipes can corrode, contaminating drinking water. Their removal minimizes crisis risks. Flint’s notorious water crisis resulted from a corrosive water source change over a decade ago, increasing lead levels. Similar issues plagued cities like Newark, NJ, and Benton Harbor, MI.
The original EPA lead and copper rule, created 30 years ago, reduced lead in tap water but had loopholes slowing city responses to high levels. “EPA’s action is a major health protection leap,” said Erik Olson from the Natural Resources Defense Council. Despite challenges, Biden’s infrastructure law allocated $15 billion for pipe replacement, but total costs are higher. Concurrently, new standards for PFAS chemicals are being proposed, impacting public health at a multi-billion dollar cost.
The American Water Works Association supports EPA’s goals but warns of prohibitive costs. Fifteen Republican attorneys general, led by Kris Kobach of Kansas, criticized the rule as “unworkable and underfunded,” worried about potential homeowner costs for replacing private pipe sections. However, EPA asserts federal grants will assist communities in pipe replacement.
Regan assures the rule’s benefits outweigh its costs. “The rule is strategically and legally sound, with undeniable health benefits,” he said. Another challenge is locating lead pipes. Initial inventories are due this month, but many cities are unsure of their pipe materials. Without pinpointing locations, replacing them efficiently is difficult, explains Eric Schwartz of BlueConduit, a company assisting cities post-Flint crisis.
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