The EPA is letting America down with its weak lead rule.
John,
The water crises in Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey, and in many other communities have deepened the public’s awareness about the threat of lead in drinking water. Yet communities across the country continue to face disastrous health consequences from lead in their water.
Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin that can harm every major system of the human body, and young children are especially vulnerable to lifelong health and developmental consequences from exposure.1
But instead of taking a strong stance against lead, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler released an update to the federal water quality regulations for lead in drinking water that will allow lead to continue to threaten public health.
Lead service lines are the single biggest source of lead contamination in our water. An estimated 6.1 million lead service lines, which are the pipes that connect water mains to homes, are delivering water to between 15 million and 22 million people.
Utilities are required to monitor lead levels in our drinking water, and if lead levels are too high, the utility must replace any lead service lines. But Wheeler’s new minimum requirement for replacing lead-contaminated service lines will dramatically slow down the rate at which utilities are required to replace those lead service lines – leaving communities exposed longer to the health risks associated with lead in their drinking water.
The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act would provide billions of dollars in funding to address lead contamination of our drinking water by supporting homeowners and communities as they remove lead service pipes on their property and by helping schools test for lead and replace lead pipes and fixtures.
There is no safe level of lead. To protect human health, we need to eliminate all lead service lines and require full lead service line replacement.
Since the EPA is refusing to do its job, Congress must step up and pass the WATER Act. Our communities deserve lead-free water at school and at home. Together, we CAN save our drinking water for future generations and fight for communities across the country facing water injustices.
Food & Water Watch and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Action, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate. This email was sent to [email protected] - and we're glad you got it, because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.
