Biden Administration Calls for Lead Pipes To Be Replaced Within 10 Years

The Biden administration is calling for all lead pipes to be replaced within 10 years, announcing a new proposal to strengthen the Lead and Copper Rule and help secure safe drinking water across the country.

"More than 9.2 million American households connect to water through lead pipes and lead service lines. Due to decades of inequitable infrastructure development and underinvestment, lead exposure disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color," the White House said in a new fact sheet.

The fact sheet continued: "There is no safe level of exposure to lead, particularly for children, and eliminating lead exposure from the air, water, and homes is a crucial component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic commitment to advancing environmental justice."

Along with replacing 100% of lead service lines, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed additions to the Lead and Copper Rule that would increase tap water samplings, require water systems to complete more comprehensive lead service line inventories, and strengthen streamline requirements to reduce lead health risks.

The proposal also includes efforts to reduce lead exposure in paint, food, soil, and the workplace.

In partnership with the Centers for Disease Control, the administration is working with the agency to improve lead blood testing practices.