The White House has pledged to replace all lead pipes within the next decade in an effort to curb health effects linked to drinking water contaminated with the toxic metal.
The Biden administration said the ‘historic’ ruling could prevent the loss of up to 200,000 IQ points among children and cut the number of baby’s born with low birth weight by one million.
Municipal utility companies will need to replace almost all lead pipes carrying water in city systems within the next 10 years. The EPA estimates there are still about 9million lead pipes in use across the country.
It will lower the allowable level of lead in the metal pipes from 15 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion, though experts warn there is no ‘safe’ level of lead exposure.
The above map from Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) shows populations served by drinking water with the highest levels of lead contamination. Florida had the highest concentration of lead piping, a separate study showed
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Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate the $30billion undertaking will protect nearly 1million babies from lead poisoning, which has been shown to cause irreversible damage like developmental issues, behavioral disorders, and low birth weight.
However, the project’s high price tag has drawn criticism from utility companies, which have cited supply chain issues and labor shortages as roadblocks to timely pipe replacement.
Dr Mona Hanna, associate dean for public health at Michigan State University, told The New York Times: ‘This rule is historic. It’s a game changer.
‘We’ve been living too long on our great-grandparents’ infrastructure.’
Lead water pipes have been used for decades, particularly in large cities in the late 1800s. By 1900, more than seven in 10 US cities used them because of their durability.
However, when plumbing starts to corrode, the lead leaches into the water supply through faucets and tap water. Drinking water, showering, or even just washing the dishes could then lead to exposure.
Though the federal government banned lead pipes for new plumbing in 1986, the ban did not apply to older infrastructure, meaning millions of Americans could be drinking contaminated water.
Once consumed, lead can travel throughout the entire body via the blood and take up camp in soft tissues like the kidney, liver or lungs, damaging those organs.
In higher doses, or with frequent exposure, it has been linked to behavioral issues, growth problems and learning difficulties in children.
Additionally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified it as a probable carcinogen, meaning high exposure is likely to cause cancer, but there is not conclusive evidence yet.
Short-term exposure to lead can result in symptoms that include headache, abdominal pain, vomiting and anemia.
There are no safe levels of lead exposure, according to the CDC and FDA.
A ruling introduced Tuesday by the Biden Administration will require all lead piping (pictured here) in the US to be replaced in the next 10 years
The above map shows the amount of service lines containing lead pipes per public water system. Chicago Bureau of Water Supply had the most at 387,095, while Cleveland Water and the New York City System followed closely behind at 235,442 and 111,616, respectively
September 2024 data from the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council looked at the public water systems with the most service lines that have lead pipes.
The data found the Chicago Bureau of Water Supply contained the most, with 387,095 service lines. Cleveland Water followed close behind in second place at 235,442 service lines, and New York City System took third place with 111,616 lines.
The City of Detroit Water and Sewage System and Milwaukee Water Works rounded out the top five, with 79,617 and 74,099 lines, respectively.
It’s unclear exactly how many people these areas service, but they could encompass for the cities’ entire populations. For the top five areas, this would add up to about 12.5million people.
Of the top 30 sites listed in the data, the City of Rochester Bureau of Water in New York state had the lowest amount of service lines with lead pipes at 19,744.
Though the agency did not list exact figures for every county, Alaska and Hawaii appeared to have the fewest service lines with lead pipes.
Tuesday’s new ruling updates the 1991 Safe Drinking Water Act, which required lead pipes to be replaced in areas where levels exceeded 15 parts of billion in at least 10 percent of sampled water.
However, some cities with a particularly large number of lead pipes may be allowed more than 10 years get rid of them. A draft version of the rule, for example, gives Chicago as long as 50 years. It’s unclear how much that timeline may be shortened by in a final draft.
