What New Lead Pipe Replacement Laws Mean for Homeowners
The Environmental Protection Agency has released a new set of rules that will, in most cases, require the decommissioning of lead pipes that carry drinking water within the next 10 years. Although there is still a period of public comment and a pause for communities to prepare, the new policy (so to speak) is already underway. Because these new safe drinking water rules will also require private and non-profit drinking water distribution systems to remove lead pipes, here’s what homeowners need to know about the rules.
Which communities will benefit?
With more than nine million lead water pipes in service in the United States, the ambitious goal to reduce the risk of lead poisoning for children and adults comes with a plan to add additional funds to the $15 billion already allocated in 2021 to help find and eliminate lead hazards. . Much of this funding will go to help severely underfunded communities and address inequality in poor and marginalized communities like Flint, Michigan. If you own a home in an economically depressed area, chances are your utility company will have to find all the lead pipes in their water supply and replace them within the next 10 years. In areas where there are more than 2,000 lead pipe service lines on a single distribution network, utility providers can get a 10-year extension, but the EPA is calling for an increase of 10% per year over all other areas.
Lead pipe location and testing
Some cities are using the public to sample tap water to determine existing lead service lines. This is because older areas may have incomplete or lost building plans and not all leading lines are already marked. So, if you live in an older neighborhood, especially one that hasn’t had much lead testing done yet, you may be asked to fill out a test kit and send it in for testing to help find problematic pipes. An added benefit is that your tap water can be tested for free.
Will I have to pay to replace my lead water line?
While most lead pipe replacement funding will not go to private homeowners, the good news is that it will be the utility company’s responsibility to find and replace even those lead pipes. If a utility provider accepts resources from lead pipe replacement funds, the lead pipe replacement policy will make the utility provider, not the homeowner, responsible for service lines located on private property and connected to public water systems.
Lead levels and testing
In addition to replacing lead water lines, the Environmental Protection Agency will also implement new standards that will lower acceptable levels of lead in drinking water from 15 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion. If you’re not sure where lead levels are in your water, you can get tap water lead testing kits from most municipalities, and a new lead pipe replacement law will free up funds for more testing in homes and child care facilities. You can test your water, even if you are not a homeowner, to see if you need to reduce lead levels in your tap water.
What about private wells?
If you are one of the 23 million people who get their water from a private well that is not connected to multiple homes, the EPA does not regulate your drinking water, but the EPA does provide guidance to those with private wells on when and how to test and also signs of water pollution. Some state and local governments also have free resources for testing well water for lead, so if you’re concerned about your water source, you should test it first.