The U.S. EPA is proposing an upgrade to the Lead and Copper rule, almost 30 years after its last revision. According to the EPA, the goal of the proposal is to, “Require more water systems to act sooner to reduce lead levels and protect public health, improve transparency and communication and better protect children and the most at-risk communities.”
Modifications to the rule include:
- Requiring local utilities to test for lead in child-care facilities and schools.
- Requiring all test findings from child-care facilities and schools to be public
- Requiring all test samples to be taken at homes with lead service lines (The current rule is only half) and informing homeowners of poor results within 24 hours.
- Creating a “Trigger Level” of 10 parts per billion (The “Action Level” is 15 ppb now).
Any level of lead in drinking water can be dangerous. Erik Olson, Senior Director for Natural Resources Defense Council explained to the Washington Post, “There are going to be problems with lead contamination as long as there are lead pipes in the ground.” Right now, there are an estimated 6 million+ lead service lines underground throughout the U.S.
