John,

According to the EPA, the maximum contaminant level goal for lead in drinking water is zero. This is because lead is a powerful neurotoxin. It damages the brain and other organs, it interferes with the formation of blood, and it builds up over time in the body. Lead poisoning is especially harmful to pregnant women and children under the age of six, when the brain and nervous system are still forming.

Young children, babies, and fetuses experience the harmful effects of lead at much lower doses than adults do. Effects on children include brain damage that can result in IQ loss, learning disabilities, hyperactivity and inattention; damage to central and peripheral nervous systems; loss of hearing, slowed growth, and anemia. At worst, the ingestion of lead can cause seizures, comas, and even death.

During pregnancy, ingested lead crosses the placental barrier; in addition, lead stored in the mother’s bones is released, as maternal calcium helps form the bones of the fetus. This can result in reduced fetal growth and all the serious health hazards related to premature birth.

Adults with lead exposure are also at risk of hypertension, harm to the brain, kidney, and reproductive system, anemia, and increased likelihood of miscarriage. Symptoms include headaches, stomach cramps, constipation, muscle and joint pain, insomnia, and loss of sex drive.

Recently the EPA proposed its new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which will require the replacement of most lead pipes within 10 years. Click here to submit an official comment to the EPA in support of these new proposed regulations.

Lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures are the most common sources of lead in drinking water. By EPA estimates, there are currently 9.2 million lead pipes in the United States, especially concentrated in communities of color, rural, and low-income communities.

Requiring the replacement of lead pipes is an important step, but we also must require water utilities to cover the costs, so the financial burden does not fall disproportionately on low-income homeowners and renters. Federal funding will help utilities cover these costs.

EPA should not allow extensions beyond 10 years, and it is also important to address corrosion control. This refers to making drinking water less corrosive to pipes at every point it comes into contact with them, in water mains and lead lines as well as in pipes within homes.

Corrosion control involves several factors, such as the water’s acidity and alkalinity, the type and amounts of minerals in the water, how much lead, wear, and protective coatings are found in the pipes, and how long the water stays there.

The EPA’s proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements are an important step forward in the drive to remove lead from drinking water. Click here to send an official comment of support now.

Thank you for helping improve the health of America’s most vulnerable children and communities.

-Amanda

Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund