RELEASE: U.S. EPA sets 10-year deadline for replacing lead pipes

PennEnvironment urges PA leaders take action to ensure safe drinking water in schools

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a new federal rule today that will help address the threat of lead in drinking water in Pennsylvania and across the nation. The new protections include a 10-year deadline for most water utilities to replace lead service lines. This deadline is a significant step for public health, since EPA estimates that there are approximately 9 million lead service lines nationwide. These toxic pipes are the single largest source of lead in water in homes and other buildings in which these pipes are found. In a major omission, the final Lead and Copper Rule does not require water utilities to halt the widespread contamination of schools’ drinking water, urged by organizations representing parents and educators.

“In setting a 10-year deadline for most utilities to replace lead pipes, the Biden administration is taking the most significant step since the Flint water crisis to protect our drinking water from lead,” said Stephanie Wein, PennEnvironment Clean Water Advocate “Sadly,  EPA missed a major opportunity to safeguard children from the threat of lead in school drinking water. Now it’s up to our elected officials in Harrisburg to get the lead out where Pennsylvania kids go to learn and play each day. ”  

Lead is particularly harmful to children. While relatively few schools have lead service lines, they often have plumbing and fixtures made with sufficient lead to contaminate water. Lead is a pervasive problem in Pennsylvania’s schools’ water, with 90% of school districts testing their water found lead contamination in the results according to a recent survey. 

Further bolstering the threat posed by lead in school drinking water, a new report released by the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center last month found all of the school districts surveyed were failing to implement best practices to keep students safe from lead in their school drinking water, and in most cases violating existing state law.

To protect our children’s health, PennEnvironment is calling on members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to immediately implement a pending bipartisan proposal (Senate Bill 986 and House Bill 2011) that would require all school districts in the state to replace old drinking fountains that pose a risk of lead contamination with lead-filtering water bottle filling stations and drinking fountains. The legislation also includes funding to help Pennsylvania school districts cover the cost of these upgrades.

PennEnvironment has been urging officials to stop lead contamination since they launched their joint Get the Lead Out campaign in 2017. The group has published significant research, including their 2023 report card that gave Pennsylvania  an “F” for the lack of state-level policies to protect kids from lead in school drinking water and a map displaying lead contamination at schools.

“When it comes to schools’ water, today’s rule finalized by EPA dispels any illusion that the federal government is going to do our homework for us when it comes to lead in school drinking water,” said Wein. “It’s time for Pennsylvania’s elected officials in Harrisburg to rise to the head of the class and get the lead out.”