The Biden administration on Tuesday finalized revisions to a lead-in-drinking-water rule that requires water systems to replace service lines containing the toxic metal within 10 years. Senior White House officials said on a call with reporters that the revisions are “significantly” more stringent than previous proposals and will provide immediate health improvements for millions. President Joe Biden on Tuesday will travel to Milwaukee to announce the more stringent standards and $2.
6 billion in outlays for drinking water infrastructure across the country beyond the billions already allocated from the 2021 infrastructure law. Milwaukee is among the U.S.
cities most in need, with an estimated 74,000 service lines that contain some lead piping. The EPA estimated that 9 million homes are served by legacy lead pipes throughout the nation. The agency has determined that there is no safe level of lead exposure, and research has shown that the neurotoxin is especially harmful to children.
“This is a matter of public health, a matter of environmental justice, a matter of basic human rights, and it is finally being met with the urgency it demands,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said on a call with reporters. The finalized revisions build upon the Lead and Copper Rule set out in 1991, which environmentalists and lawmakers argued lacked strong testing, treatment and reporting requirements necessary to address all harms.
The Biden administration in 2021 made some revisions t.