EPA Says Some 9 Million Lines of Lead Pipes Must Be Removed—What This Could Mean For You with a less toxic material, the EPA has set a deadline for states and water utility companies to do so
After decades of pressure to replace the 9.2 million lead pipes in the U.S
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- After decades of pressure to replace lead pipes with a less toxic material, the EPA has set a deadline in the next 10 years for states and water utility companies to do so.
- The U.S. has more than nine million lead pipes that carry drinking water, which are more commonly found in low-income or BIPOC communities.
- Lead pipes must be replaced within a decade, but in the meantime, experts recommend checking to see if you have lead pipes and taking steps to reduce your exposure.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule that will require all lead drinking water pipes—some 9.2 million lines—to be replaced within the next 10 years.
This final rule, announced on October 8, is part of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements regulation from the Biden Administration and the EPA. In addition to removing lead pipes, the plan also requires more drinking water testing, lowers the threshold of safe lead exposure, and bolsters communication about communities’ lead exposure.
Water can corrode lead pipes, causing the toxic substance to enter the water supply.
Lead is a potent neurotoxin that is particularly harmful for children, whose learning, mental development, and physical development can be stunted by the element. In adults, lead exposure can cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues, decreased kidney function, and cancer—and there’s no antidote.
“The main sources of exposure to lead in the U.S. are leaded pipes and lead in paint from old houses,” Maria Jose Talayero Schettino, MD, a Doctor of Public Health candidate and toxicology researcher at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, told Health. “There is no safe level of exposure.”
It’s estimated that nearly half of Americans were exposed to high lead levels in early childhood. And currently, nine million homes have drinking water that still runs through lead pipes—many of these homes are in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or people of color) or low-income communities.
Removing lead pipes has been a topic of discussion among federal and state officials over the last couple of decades. However, there’s been little movement despite pushes from advocacy groups.
This new EPA rule is crucial because it sets a clear, enforceable deadline for water utility departments to remove these lead lines, John Rumpler, JD, clean water director at Environment America, an environmental advocacy group, told Health.
“For decades, the Lead and Copper Rule was built around the assumption that you could just test the water and take action only when tests showed high levels of lead,” Rumpler said. “[It’s] a flawed idea, especially given the high variability of lead concentrations in water.”
Where Is Lead Piping an Issue in the U.S.?
The danger associated with lead pipes can vary dramatically between cities or even individual homes, explained Marc Edwards, PhD, distinguished professor of environmental and water resources engineering at Virginia Tech. The amount of lead that seeps into water depends on how corrosive that local water is to the pipes themselves, among other factors, he told Health.
A map published last month by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental nonprofit, outlined the states that will be most impacted by lead pipe removal—Illinois, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Florida have the most lead pipes of any states, followed by North Carolina, Michigan, Georgia, Indiana, and Louisiana.
Among cities, Chicago has the largest number of lead pipes in their water infrastructure at 387,000, followed by Cleveland, which has 235,000, and New York City, which has 112,000. Detroit, Milwaukee, Denver, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Buffalo round out the list of cities with the most lead service lines.
Lead pipes are more commonly found in homes built before 1986.
Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. Households Could Have Dangerous Levels of Lead Lurking in Their SoilProtecting Americans’ Health, Particularly in Marginalized Communities
As part of the new rule, the EPA will allocate $2.6 billion to states for the infrastructure update, earmarking about half to disadvantaged communities as grants that do not have to be repaid.
“Lead exposure is an environmental justice issue,” Talayero Schettino said. “Low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately get exposed to lead. These groups often reside in older areas with poorly maintained infrastructure.”
A 2021 study found that, even though lead exposure in general is decreasing, Black children still are more likely to have elevated blood lead levels compared to white children.
Despite the fact that lead exposure disparities have existed for decades, the federal government has largely been dragging its feet on remediation, Talayero Schettino said.
The country has seen high-profile drinking water crises as a result, including in Washington, D.C., which saw dangerously high lead levels from 2001 to 2003. In 2016, residents of Flint, Michigan—many of whom are African American and low-income—were subjected to lead-tainted drinking water.
As recently as 2022, residents of Providence, Rhode Island, brought a civil rights lawsuit against the EPA and Providence Water Supply Board, alleging that the utility services’ replacement practices put residents of color at a disproportionately higher risk of lead exposure.
“After crises in Flint and Washington D.C., priceless trust in tap water was lost,” Edwards said. “Lead pipes probably have to be replaced to begin earning that trust back.”
An Uncertain Path Forward
Though experts say this EPA rule is a step in the right direction, the logistics of replacing the pipes and the decade-long timeframe leave some gaps.
It’s unclear which material the new pipes will be made of. Replacing pipes with plastic could cause other issues, Rumpler said, since the long-term risks of using PVC (a type of plastic) to carry drinking water are currently unknown. Wildfires, which are expected to get worse with climate change, could also damage plastic pipes.
Copper is a better alternative, he said, though more expensive.
“Once these pipes are in the ground, we’re stuck with them for decades to come,” Rumpler said.
Additionally, even though lead pipes across the country will be replaced within the next decade, people may want to take matters into their own hands until the project is finished.
“If it were my family, I would not use tap water from a lead service line, unless it was treated with a filter certified for lead removal,” Edwards said. Although pregnant people and children are at the highest risk, “lead contamination poses a risk to everyone,” he added.
The EPA offers guidance online about how to check if your home has lead pipes, which could include calling your municipal water supplier, or investigating yourself using a coin and a magnet. You can also have your water tested for lead.
If you're concerned about your lead exposure in drinking water, you can use bottled water instead. However, this can pose its own set of health threats.
Another option is to run your water for several minutes before using it for drinking or cooking, Talayero Schettino said. This can reduce the amount of lead that leaches into water, especially if the tap hasn’t been used recently and water may have been sitting in the pipes. Keeping the tap cold is also a good idea.
“Lead is more likely to dissolve into hot water, so it’s important to only use cold water for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula,” she said.
This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Kaitlin Sullivan
