John,

The United States has a public health crisis that must be addressed immediately.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are 9.2 million lead pipes spread across all 50 states.¹ Due to the lack of accurate state-provided data, these numbers could be a dramatic underestimate. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) requested estimates on the number of lead water pipes from all 50 states and Washington DC, but only 10 states and the District of Columbia were able to provide the data. 32 states admitted they do not track the number of lead water pipes in their state.²

This is unacceptable, but there’s something we can do about it now.

The EPA recently proposed regulations to help get lead out of drinking water. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements are a big step forward and would ensure the replacement of most lead pipes in 10 years, including in low-income and rural communities and areas most impacted by this health crisis.

We also must require water utilities to cover the full costs, so we’re not putting that financial burden on low-income homeowners, and to protect renters whose landlords are unlikely to pay the cost of lead pipe replacement. The federal government has already provided some funds to help utilities shoulder these costs. The EPA also should not allow extensions beyond 10 years to replace the lead pipes; we need to ensure future generations of kids are not exposed to high lead levels from their tap water.

We can support this proposal by submitting comments directly to the EPA. The public comment period closes next Monday, February 5th.

Click here to submit your comment directly to the EPA, urging them to finalize strong regulations that will give everyone access to safe drinking water as quickly as possible.

Low levels of lead exposure in drinking water have been linked to learning disabilities in children, impaired hearing, and damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. In adults, lead exposure has been linked to decreased kidney function, reproductive health problems, and severe cardiovascular problems.³

The impacts of lead poisoning are not felt equally―with communities of color, low-income communities, and rural communities affected disproportionately by lead contamination in drinking water.

A recent study of a lead pipe replacement program in Washington DC found that wealthy households were more likely than low-income households to pay to have their lead pipes fully replaced.⁴ It’s imperative that this rule is implemented immediately so that we can ensure support for vulnerable communities.

The public comment period closes on Monday, February 5th. Take action today and submit an official comment to the EPA in support of the new lead pipe replacement rule to help get lead out of drinking water now.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment April 2023
² Lead Pipes Are Widespread and Used in Every State
³ Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water
⁴ To protect kids, EPA wants total removal of lead pipes for the first time