On October 10, 2019, EPA announced a proposed rule that would significantly revise how public water systems evaluate and address lead in drinking water. This is the largest change to the Lead and Copper Rule since the rule was promulgated in 1991. Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the purpose of the Lead and Copper Rule is to protect public health by minimizing lead and copper levels in drinking water, mainly by reducing water corrosivity because lead and copper enter drinking water primarily from corrosion of lead and copper in plumbing materials.
The original Lead and Copper Rule established a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (“MCLG”) of zero lead in drinking water, and an Action Level of 15 parts per billion (“ppb”). The proposed Lead and Copper Rule Revision maintains the current MCLG and Action Level, but will require a more comprehensive response at the Action Level and introduces a lead Trigger Level of 10 ppb that requires more proactive planning in communities with lead service lines.
The proposed Lead and Copper Rule Revision focuses on six key areas of improvement:
- Identifying the most impacted areas by requiring water systems to prepare and update a publicly-available inventory of lead service lines and requiring water systems to “find-and-fix” sources of lead when a sample in a home exceeds 15 ppb.
- Strengthening drinking water treatment by requiring corrosion control treatment based on tap sampling results and establishing a new trigger level of 10 ppb.
- Replacing lead service lines by requiring water systems to replace the water system-owned portion of a lead service line when a customer chooses to replace their portion of the line. Additionally, depending on their level above the trigger level, systems would be required take lead service line replacement actions.
- Increasing drinking water sampling reliability by requiring water systems to follow new, improved sampling procedures and adjust sampling sites to better target locations with higher lead levels.
- Improving risk communication to customers by requiring water systems to notify customers within 24 hours if a sample collected in their home is above 15 ppb. Water systems will also be required to conduct regular outreach to the homeowners with lead service lines.
- Better protecting children in schools and child care facilities by requiring water systems to take drinking water samples from the schools and child care facilities served by the system.
In an EPA press release, Administrator Andrew Wheeler touted the advancements in the proposed rule:
By improving protocols for identifying lead, expanding sampling, and strengthening treatment requirements, our proposal would ensure that more water systems proactively take actions to prevent lead exposure, especially in schools, child care facilities, and the most at-risk communities. We are also working with the Department of Housing and Urban Development to encourage states and cities to make full use of the many funding and financing options provided by the federal government.
The proposed Lead and Copper Rule Revision was released by EPA as a pre-publication version. Once the proposed rule is published in the federal register, public comments will be accepted for 60 days at www.regulations.gov. More information is available at EPA’s website.