The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a rule requiring that all lead pipes in the U.S. must be removed by 2034 — a landmark achievement in protecting children across the country from lead exposure. In the words of Dr. Mona Hanna, a champion for children’s health during the water crisis in Flint, MI, the regulation “really put[s] kids at the center of what needs to be done.”
An estimated 500,000 U.S. children under age 6 currently have dangerous blood lead levels (BLLs). While Flint — with its tinged tap water and aging infrastructure — is well-known as risk for lead exposure, the problem is far more widespread. One study found that between 2018-2020 56% of the U.S. population relied on water systems contaminated by lead. Black children and children in low-income households have higher levels of lead in their blood than their white and/or wealthier peers.
Lead exposure has severe health ramifications and can cause lifelong complications for children. Children drink more water per pound of body weight than adults, making them more susceptible to smaller levels of lead. Infants are perhaps most at risk of consuming lead in drinking water, as those who consume formula may receive up to 60% of their lead exposure via water (as compared to 20% for the average person). Children exposed to even low levels of lead may develop neurological and brain disorders, behavioral health issues, or may even succumb to comas or death.
The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements mark a historic effort to identify and replace all lead pipes in the country in just 10 years. The recently finalized rule requires that all child care facilities and elementary schools be tested for lead in their drinking water, given that young children are especially at risk of the effects of lead exposure and are most likely to develop lifelong conditions as a result. Additionally, the rule will trigger enforcement at 10 parts per billion (ppb) instead of 15 ppb, resulting in government intervention and public notices at a lower lead threshold. While the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that there is no safe level of lead exposure for children this change will help more communities get the assistance they need.
The process will be long and arduous but will have potentially lifesaving results for communities across the country, especially those that have been historically underserved and are more likely to rely on lead service pipes. The EPA estimates that the new rule has the potential to prevent 900,000 infants from being born underweight, prevent ADHD in 2,600 children, and reduce IQ loss in children by 200,000 points. The investments that this effort makes in lead pipes will not only benefit our national infrastructure, they will improve the physical, behavioral, and mental health of our children.