EPA’s New Rule Mandates Removal of Lead Pipes in US Within a Decade
On Tuesday, the Biden administration unveiled an important regulation that mandates water utilities to replace nearly all lead pipes across the United States within a ten-year timeframe, addressing a serious health risk that is particularly harmful to young children and infants.
The removal of all lead pipes in the next decade has become a key component of the White House’s strategy to tackle environmental challenges and racial inequality, especially following recent water contamination incidents in places like Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey.
“We’ve been aware for many years that lead exposure has severe long-term health consequences for children. However, millions of lead service lines are still in use, supplying drinking water,” stated EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden aims to resolve this longstanding public health crisis.”
President Joe Biden plans to visit Wisconsin to promote this new rule, which is largely supported in industrial Midwestern states that play a crucial role in the upcoming presidential election.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also campaigning for president this November, has advocated for the replacement of lead pipes, recognizing the importance of this issue for marginalized communities.
The newly established rule, first proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2023, sets the strictest limits on lead in drinking water since federal regulations were introduced many years ago and requires utilities to assess and replace their infrastructure in the next decade.
The bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 allocated $50 billion to enhance the country’s drinking water and wastewater systems, which includes $15 billion earmarked for lead service line replacements over a five-year period.
Lead exposure can lead to permanent damage to the brain and nervous system, posing a significant risk to both infants and children. Service lines that deliver water to residences are believed to be a major contributor to lead exposure.
The urgency of addressing lead contamination was highlighted a decade ago in Flint, Michigan.
