The White House has pledged to replace all lead pipes within the next decade in an effort to limit the health effects of 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 reduce the number of babies born with low birth weight by a million.
Municipal utilities will need to replace nearly all lead water pipes in city systems over the next decade. The EPA estimates that there are still about 9 million lead pipes in use nationwide.
It will lower the allowable level of lead in the metal pipes from 15 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion, although experts warn there is no “safe” level of lead exposure.
The above map from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) shows the populations served by drinking water with the highest levels of lead contamination. Florida had the highest concentration of lead pipes, a separate study found
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials estimate that the $30 billion undertaking will protect nearly 1 million babies from lead poisoning, which has been shown to cause irreversible damage such as developmental problems, behavioral disorders and low birth weight.
However, the project’s high price tag has drawn criticism from utilities, which cite supply chain issues and labor shortages as roadblocks to timely pipe replacements.
Dr. Mona Hanna, associate dean for public health at Michigan State University, said The New York Times: ‘This rule is historic. It’s a game changer.
‘We have been living on the infrastructure of our great-grandparents for too long.’
Lead water pipes have been used for decades, especially in major cities in the late 1800s. By 1900, more than seven in ten American cities were using them because of their sustainability.
However, when the pipes begin to corrode, the lead leaks into the water supply through faucets and tap water. Drinking water, showering or even just doing the dishes can lead to exposure.
Although 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 through the blood throughout the body and lodge in soft tissues such as the kidneys, liver or lungs, damaging these organs.
At higher doses or with frequent exposure, it has been linked to behavioral problems, growth problems and learning problems 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 no conclusive evidence yet.
Short-term exposure to lead can lead to symptoms such as headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting and anemia.
According to the CDC and FDA, no safe levels of lead exposure exist.
A ruling introduced by the Biden administration on Tuesday will require all lead pipes (pictured here) in the US to be replaced within the next decade
The map above shows the number of pipes with lead pipes for each public water system. Chicago Bureau of Water Supply had the most with 387,095, while Cleveland Water and the New York City System followed closely with 235,442 and 111,616, respectively.
The September 2024 data from the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council looked at the public water systems with the most service lines with lead pipes.
The data showed the Chicago Bureau of Water Supply contained the most, with 387,095 service lines. Cleveland Water followed in second place with 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 is unclear exactly how many people these areas serve, but it could be the entire population of the city. For the top five areas this would amount to approximately 12.5 million people.
Of the top 30 locations listed in the data, the City of Rochester Bureau of Water in New York State had the lowest number of service lines with lead pipes at 19,744.
Although the agency did not list exact figures for each county, Alaska and Hawaii appeared to have the fewest service lines with lead pipes.
Tuesday’s new ruling is an update to the 1991 Safe Drinking Water Act, which required lead pipes to be replaced in areas where levels in at least 10 percent of the water sampled exceeded 15 parts of a billion.
However, some cities with a particularly high number of lead pipes may have more than a decade to get rid of them. For example, a draft version of the rule gives Chicago a whopping 50 years. It’s unclear how much that timeline could be shortened in a final version.