PHILADELPHIA, PA — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a 10-year deadline on Thursday for most water utilities to fully replace lead service lines. This directive will impact over 9 million toxic pipes that currently deliver drinking water to homes, child care facilities, and other buildings across the nation.
David Masur, executive director for the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, lauded the EPA’s decision as a transformative step in addressing the root cause of lead-water contamination. “The agency’s 10-year deadline turns President Biden’s ambitious public health goal into an enforceable reality,” Masur said. “In mandating their rapid removal, EPA is moving to get the lead out — as common sense and safe drinking water demand.”
However, despite this significant progress, the EPA’s proposed updates to the Lead & Copper Rule would not require schools to install water stations with filters, a requirement now enforced by new legislation in Michigan and supported by parent and educator organizations.
PennEnvironment has been at the forefront of advocating for greater measures to combat lead contamination since the Flint, Michigan drinking water crisis in 2014. The group has conducted extensive research, including a report grading Pennsylvania for its state-level policies to address lead in school drinking water, a study uncovering significant lead contamination across the Philadelphia school district, and a map displaying lead contamination at schools.
While the EPA’s announcement marks a significant stride in addressing lead in tap water, PennEnvironment is urging the agency to go further to protect children from the threat of lead in school drinking water.
Masur further elaborated, “Our kids deserve safe drinking water wherever they go to learn and play each day. When it comes to schools’ drinking water, we would encourage the EPA to do more homework before finalizing this rule.”
The PennEnvironment executive director emphasized that lead contamination in schools is not only from lead service lines but also from pipes running through school buildings, valves, lead solder joints, and even components in school drinking fountains.
“By requiring federally regulated schools to replace lead-bearing fountains with new water stations and filters on all drinking water taps, the EPA can join states like Michigan in rising to the head of the class for protecting our kids from lead-tainted water,” Masur concluded.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.