Trump’s EPA Lets Lead Pipes Stick Around an Extra 20 Years
The EPA’s guidelines don’t require notification of lead found in water until it reaches 15 ppb (parts per billion). That’s 3 times 5ppb which is when lead in water can cause developmental and behavioral issues in children.
If utilities discover 10 – 15 ppb in their pipes, they will have to replace it. Under the old rule, utilities had 13 years… now, they have 33 years.
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If tests show between 10 and 15 parts per billion, the utility will be required to work with the state to come up with a plan to replace the service lines. However, the new rule will give utilities roughly 33 years – about 20 more years that previously allowed – to fully replace service lines that repeatedly test above the action level.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there’s no safe level of lead in children’s blood and says that amounts as low as 5 parts per billion require medical intervention. Exposure to lead can cause developmental delays and learning difficulties in children, as well as symptoms including weight loss, irritability or even seizures.
