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| Article/Study Title | Author/Source | Key Takeaways | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Pipes Are Widespread and Used in Every State | NRDC | ▪ Every still has state has some amount of lead water mains with the Midwest, NY, NJ and Texas having the most | |
| ▪ All states struggle with the mapping of current lead lines as inventories were not historically kept and each state has its own way of maintaining records (some do not keep records at all) | |||
| ▪ NRDC estimates that there is a range of 9.7 million to 12.8 million pipes that are, or may be, lead, spread across all 50 states | |||
| ▪ Includes chart of each states population and estimated LSL number (Lead Service Line) | https://www.nrdc.org/resources/lead-pipes-are-widespread-and-used-every-state | ||
| States Say They Lack ‘Road Map’ to Spend Feds’ Lead Pipe Funds | Bloomberg law | ▪ Up to local water systems to voluntarily find the lead pipes, design projects to replace them, and then apply for federal funding through the state | |
| ▪ “Until we’ve actually gone through the national exercise of lead service line inventory under the revised Lead and Copper Rule, we won’t have that national community-specific estimate,” | |||
| ▪ California has completed a lead-pipe survey; however, this has not yet accounted for private owned land | |||
| ▪ Some states are still awaiting guidance from the EPA as to how money from federal grants should be spent. | https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/states-say-they-lack-road-map-to-spend-feds-lead-pipe-funds | ||
| Time bomb' lead pipes will be removed. But first water utilities have to find them | NPR | ▪ Trenton — like many other water systems — doesn't know where all of its lead service lines are. State governments have only a fraction of the picture. | |
| ▪ “New lead pipes were banned at the federal level in 1986, and states came into compliance in the three years following. | |||
| ▪ Water utilities have never been required to thoroughly inventory their lead pipes before a crisis. And only in rare instances are they required to replace them under the EPA's lead and copper rule. | |||
| ▪ Not every American with a lead service line is continuously drinking high levels of lead. Utilities use treatments, like orthophosphate, to keep water from corroding the lead pipes and draw out the toxic metal. But changes in the water chemistry, like that in Trenton, or construction that shakes up a lead pipe can suddenly cause a problem ▪ Many utilities claim responsibility for the portion of the service line running from a water main to the property line or curb stop. They say the customer is responsible for the rest. | https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/07/20/1112049811/lead-pipe-removal | ||
| Lead Pipe Removal Speeds Up as Federal Stimulus Dollars Flow | Pew trusts | ▪ Many municipalities and utilities are still trying to determine whether and where they have lead pipes, and local leaders say they lack the resources to quickly replace lead lines without steep increases in residents’ water bills. | |
| ▪ Grants typically require communities to put up matching dollars—a requirement that could be a hurdle for low-income cities. | |||
| ▪ The American Water Works Association, a Denver-based nonprofit that provides advocacy and education on water quality issues, estimates lead pipe removal nationwide could cost $60 billion. Even that number could prove to be low, as the prevalence of lead lines is still unknown in many places and replacement costs can vary widely by location. | |||
| ▪ Another issue is the many lead pipes on private property—health hazards that many homeowners cannot afford to replace. Fixing those pipes can cost several thousand dollars per household. | https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/09/29/lead-pipe-removal-speeds-up-as-federal-stimulus-dollars-flow | ||
| Revealed: US cities refusing to replace toxic lead water pipes unless residents pay | the guardian | ▪ Studies have found that Black and brown children are far more likely to have elevated levels of lead in their blood and to live in older homes with lead lines, yet it tends to be wealthier white residents who take advantage of local programs that offer property owners loans to replace lead pipes. | |
| ▪ Cities that are undertaking lead replacement programs often ask homeowners to pay to replace the portions under their private property. If owners don’t pay, some cities essentially cut the lines in half, removing the city-owned portions of the lead lines but leaving the lines on private property intact. | |||
| ▪ Studies have found that partial lead service line replacements can unleash “erratic spikes” of lead into drinking water; however, the vast majority of the 11,000+ water utilities in the US engage in this practice | |||
| ▪ a recent study of Washington DC’s early lead replacement programs found that when the water provider for the city asked residents to pay for replacement of the portions of pipes on their own property, 66% of homeowners in the wealthiest parts of the city took advantage of the program, compared with only 25% for areas with the lowest incomes. | https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/20/us-cities-force-residents-pay-thousands-replace-lead-pipes-risk-drinking-toxic-water | ||
| Race is On to Remove Lead Pipes from Under the US | esri | ▪ The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now mandating an inventory noting the material makeup of every single service line delivering drinking water by October 2024. | |
| ▪ Under the new rules, unknown materials are assumed to be lead, too. | |||
| ▪ “GIS was one of the best tools for that,” Nolte said, because they could quantify the probability of lead pipe using GIS analysis and then mark it on the map. | |||
| ▪ Updated public-facing online dashboard showing where work has been done and how much is left has helped in communicating the project’s progress to residents. | https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/blog/mapping-lead-pipe-removal/ | ||
| As Federal 'War' on Lead Pipes Gains Traction, 120Water Launches Additional Service Line Inventory Management Solutions | cision | ▪ "Only with validated records that clearly identify and document service lines, can water systems finally make the strategic investments that will make lead in our drinking water a public health concern of the past," | |
| ▪ "In water systems nationwide, service line recordkeeping is inconsistent at best, which leaves most systems unable to articulate and document the scope of funding and resource needs for service line replacement and without the systems in place to meet LCRR expectations." | |||
| ▪ 120water partners with public water systems to develop a preliminary inventory by identifying, analyzing, and digitizing existing inventory data, using machine learning technology to predict the probability of lead in service lines of unknown material type. | https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/as-federal-war-on-lead-pipes-gains-traction-120water-launches-additional-service-line-inventory-management-solutions-301296962.html | ||
| Lead and Copper Rule Revisions White Paper October 2016 | EPA | ▪ Lead and copper enter drinking water mainly from corrosion of lead and copper containing plumbing materials. |
▪ Lead was widely used in plumbing materials until Congress banned its use in 1986.
▪ There is no safe level of lead.
▪ Lead exposure in children can cause behavioral issues, IQ decrements and decreased academic performance
▪ Lead exposure in adults can result in increased blood pressure, hypertension, symptoms of depression, immune effects and lead to coronary heart disease and death.
▪ Estimated costs for LSLRs range from $2500 to more than $8000 per line, suggesting an estimated cost of eliminating all 6.5 to 10 million LSLs nationwide ranging from 16 to 80 billion dollars.
▪ Potential costs may be disproportionately borne by specific low-income localities,
▪ To the extent water systems rely on homeowners to pay for replacement of privately owned portions of lines, there are concerns about consumer’s ability to pay and the possibility that lower-income homeowners will be unable to replace lines, resulting in disparate levels of protection. | [<https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-10/documents/508_lcr_revisions_white_paper_final_10.26.16.pdf>](<https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-10/documents/508_lcr_revisions_white_paper_final_10.26.16.pdf>) |
| Concerned About Lead in Your Drinking Water | EPA | ▪ How to identify potential lead sources in your home (water main, goose neck, faucet, solder) ▪ How to reduce exposure: only cold drinking water, clean aerator, certified water filter, running tap | https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-08/documents/epa_lead_in_drinking_water_final_8.21.17.pdf | | Do You Have Lead Pipes in Your Home? (app/tool) | NPR | ▪ Visual test for lead pipes using magnet and coin and how to locate water meter in step by step directions ▪ Only NSF/ANSI Standard 53 water filters can remove lead from water | https://apps.npr.org/find-lead-pipes-in-your-home/en/#intro | | Guidance for Developing and Maintaining a Service Line Inventory 2022 | EPA | ▪ Just this August, the EPA posted a long-awaited guidance for water systems to develop and maintain and inventory of lead service lines in each state ▪ Locating LSLs is the 1st and critical step in replacement programs ▪ BIL dedicated $15 Billion in LSLR funding through the DWSRF and is provided to states with no match requirement ▪ Inventories allow water systems to publicly track their progress on LSLR, engaging community and enhancing transparency | https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-08/Inventory Guidance_August 2022_508 compliant.pdf | | Everyone needs their lead pipes replaced, not just those who can afford it by Tom Neltner, EDF | Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) | ▪ EDF found that each line replaced yields a $22,000 payback in reduced deaths from cardiovascular disease — that's more than $205 billion over 35 years. ▪ American University research on more than 3400 lead service line replacements conducted in Washington D.C. from 2009-2018 showed unintended consequence of disproportionally impacting low-income and Black households | [https://www.edf.org/blog/2020/03/12/everyone-needs-their-lead-pipes-replaced-not-just-those-who-can-afford-it#:~:text=In a new analysis%2C we,%24205 billion over 35 years.](https://www.edf.org/blog/2020/03/12/everyone-needs-their-lead-pipes-replaced-not-just-those-who-can-afford-it#:~:text=In a new analysis%2C we,%24205 billion over 35 years.) | | Vox map of lead exposure risk of every neighborhood in America | vox, Sarah Frostenson and Sarah Kliff | ▪ Reporting standards for lead pipes vary state to state which makes inventories difficult ▪ Country has a hodgepodge of data ▪ Risk scores do not necessarily correspond to individual’s risk of exposure ▪ "We don’t really know where the problem is; we don’t know where to target our resources to protect kids," Bruce Lanphear, professor at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver who studies lead exposure in children | https://www.vox.com/a/lead-exposure-risk-map | | How small cities are tackling lead service line replacement | Maureen Cunningham and Olya Egorov in American City&County | ▪ Small towns who attempted to cover full lead line replacement for homeowners were successful because of funding ▪ Eau Claire, WI was successful in replacement projects due to: funding, passing a city ordinance mandating private homeowners replace lead lines communication with the public. ▪ Public outreach and keeping tabs on contractors doing the replacement work helped Eau Claire execute its replacement program smoothly ▪ Small cities’ LSLR success relies on: local, grassroots groups encouraging community buy-in, establishing trust in public sector and providing language translation for residents ▪ Partnerships and regionalized approaches to lead removal cut down on stretched municipal resources. | https://www.americancityandcounty.com/2021/02/25/how-small-cities-are-tackling-lead-service-line-replacement/ | | History of Lead Regulation in Drinking Water Supplies | NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY DIVISION OF MUNICIPAL FACILITIES | ▪ • The 1986 Safe Drinking Water Act Lead Ban: required the use of “lead-free” pipe, solder, and flux in the installation or repair of any public water system or any plumbing in a residential or non-residential facility providing water for human consumption ▪ The 1988 Lead Contamination Control Act (LCCA) - Congress enacted to reduce lead exposure in drinking water in schools and child care centers ▪ The 1991 Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) : Requires public water suppliers to monitor lead in drinking water and provide treatment for corrosive water if lead/copper at unacceptable levels ▪ The 2011 Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act (RLDWA): amended the 1986 lead ban to make a stricter limit for the definition of “lead free” in piping and fittings | https://deq.nd.gov/publications/mf/HistoryOfLeadRegulationInDrinkingWaterSupplies.pdf | | Quarter of Flint kids have elevated lead levels in blood, Cornell study finds | Leonard N. Fleming The Detroit News | ▪ In 2019, 244 Flint children between the ages 4 and 8 were tested for lead in their bloodstream and showed that one in four received a clinician’s diagnosis of elevated blood lead levels ▪ research showed a substantial uptick in negative health outcomes among Flint children following the water crisis ▪ 44% of children with lead showed hyperactivity, 39% had emotional agitation, 29% had comprehension issues/learning delays, while 39% of children had skin rashes and 11% experienced hair loss | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/01/26/quarter-flint-kids-have-elevated-lead-levels-blood-cornell-study-finds/9226745002/ | | Watered Down Justice | NRDC | ▪ Enacted in 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was supposed to ensure access to safe drinking water across the country ▪ Threats to our drinking water systems are everywhere: agricultural practices, chemical releases, antiquated and crumbling infrastructure that allows contaminants to leach into and infiltrate tap water, and inadequate contaminant removal. ▪ race, ethnicity, or language spoken had the strongest relationship to slow and inadequate enforcementi of the SDWA of any sociodemographic characteristic analyzed ▪ Between June 1, 2016 and May 31, 2019 there were 170,959 violations of the SDWA in 24,133 community water systems across the U.S. Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population btained their water from drinking water systems that were in violation of the law. ▪ 431 counties across the country with the highest rate of drinking water violations also had the highest racial, ethnic, and language vulnerability | https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/watered-down-justice-report.pdf | | Getting the Lead Out of Drinking Water | Robinson Engineering | ▪ Illinois now requires replacement of lead service lines ($8,500-$12,000 each) ▪ Details replacement from an engineering perspective ▪ Details required documentation and permits to carry out LSLR in Illinois ▪ Surveys of private homes should be incentivized, request photos and detail visual check steps ▪ Discusses funding options for Illinois municipalities | https://www.reltd.com/_files/ugd/903a54_5bbcfb3c9a194bd68cb0fc248ecf9319.pdf | | Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: State Revolving Funds Implementation Memorandum March 2022 | EPA | ▪ EPA strongly encourages states to devote funding and technical assistance to help local water systems develop lead service line inventories and undertake replacement planning ▪ Under the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, all water systems must have initial inventories by Oct 2024, but EPA urges states to employ technical assistance set-aside funds to help water systems develop inventories more quickly | https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-03/bil-srf-memo-fact-sheet-final.pdf | | FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan | The White House | ▪ President and Vice President made replacing lead pipes a centerpiece of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ▪ EPA allocating $3 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to states, Tribes, and Territories for lead service line replacement in 2022 ▪ EPA will also partner with states to provide technical assistance to help disadvantaged communities overcome barriers to funding through the SRFs. ▪ There are more than 148.000 public water systems in the U.S. The EPA will establish Technical Assistance Hubs in select regions with a large concentration of lead service lines ▪ CDC Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, includes 62 funded jurisdictions across the U.S. The program conducts surveillance of blood lead levels, provides education and outreach to communities | https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/16/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-lead-pipe-and-paint-action-plan/ | | In Jackson, Miss., a water crisis has revealed the racial costs of legacy infrastructure | Brookings | ▪ Jackson’s high percentage of low-income residents—in one of the poorest states in the country—limits steady and predictable revenues for public services, including drinking water and wastewater ▪ Jackson warned citizens of lead levels in water in 2016, but the city could not afford to replace pipes and moved for corrosion control, leaving homeowners to bear responsibility for lead pipes and health risks. ▪ In the case of Jackson, legacy infrastructure goes hand-in-hand with a legacy of racism. The costs of legacy infrastructure parallel long-standing economic and racial disparities in the region. | https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2021/03/26/in-jackson-miss-a-water-crisis-has-revealed-the-racial-costs-of-legacy-infrastructure/ |