October 15, 2024

The Biden administration has announced a new rule requiring water utilities to replace all lead pipes. This is part of a new EPA regulation mandating the identification and replacement of lead service lines within 10 years using funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

Water utilities have three years to develop and implement a 10-year plan to reduce and remove lead pipes in their cities. Cities with a high number of lead pipes may receive an extended timeframe to meet these requirements. To help communities achieve these standards and enhance lead testing, the EPA is providing an additional $2.6 billion for drinking water infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. The agency will also offer $35 million in competitive grants.

The rule also requires more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water and improves communication so communities families are informed about the risk of lead in their drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them.

The EPA estimates that the new standard will prevent health complications due to lead exposure in up to 900,000 infants and up to 1,500 premature deaths from heart disease annually.

While this new ruling is the strictest regulation of lead in drinking water in decades, we won’t see the effects of it for years to come. In the meantime, upgrade to a premium water filtration system to avoid lead exposure and major damage to your health. Our proprietary Affinity® Filtration Technology is proven to remove up to 99.34% of lead, so you can enjoy clean, safe water today!

On Tuesday April 4, 2023, The Environmental Protection Agency published a startling document  regarding the findings from the 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA) in 2021. This survey was conducted in order to identify infrastructure projects needed over the next 20 years for water systems to continue providing safe drinking water to the public. What was found was shocking.

It was previously estimated that there were around 7.3 million lead service lines  (LSLs) in the United States, but the recent survey now puts that number at a staggering 9.2 million, affecting considerably more people than previously believed. Although every state has varying numbers of these lead service lines, with Alaska notably being the lowest at 1,454, Florida and Illinois alone account for over 2 million LSLs, both actively providing drinking water to their residents via over a million LSLs each.

The survey consisted of 3,629 public water systems in all 60 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia as well as other U.S territories and included questions pertaining to lead service lines. Read the full press report here.

Alaska: 1,454

Oregon: 3,530

South Dakota: 4,141

Vermont: 5,263

Nevada: 9,048

Hawaii: 9,589

Wyoming: 10,477

Mississippi: 11,098

Arizona: 11,429

California: 13,476

Montana: 14,125

Utah: 14,293

New Hampshire: 14,819

New Mexico: 15,453

Maine: 18,057

West Virginia: 20,259

Washington: 22,030

North Dakota: 26,443

District of Columbia: 27,058

Oklahoma: 28,679

Kentucky: 40,207

Delaware: 42,479

Georgia: 45,985

Idaho: 49,434

Puerto Rico: 51,490

Nebraska: 53,230

Kansas: 54,107

Maryland: 71,166

Rhode Island: 75,749

Alabama: 91,544

Iowa: 96,436

South Carolina: 108,177

Colorado: 111,907

Massachusetts: 117,090

Minnesota: 136,873

Connecticut: 146,574

Arkansas: 171,771

Virginia: 187,883

Missouri: 202,112

Indiana: 265,400

Louisiana: 266,984

Michigan: 301,790

Wisconsin: 341,023

New Jersey: 349,357

North Carolina: 369,715

Tennessee: 381,342

New York: 494,007

Texas: 657,640

Pennsylvania: 688,697

Ohio: 745,061

Illinois: 1,043,294

And the state with the most lead service lines is...

Florida: 1,159,300

Lead service lines are known to be a significant source of lead contamination in drinking water. Even at low levels, lead ingestion can cause serious health implications especially for young children and pregnant women. While risk varies from individual to individual, there is significant evidence that lead can cause irreversible damage to the kidneys as well as the nervous, reproductive and cardiovascular systems.

Rest assured, all of our products have been independently tested and verified by EPA accredited laboratories to filter lead at a removal rate of up to 99.3%. You can find the test results for all of our products here.

The bottom line is lead piping isn't going to be removed all at once or anytime soon. Nor is the lead that we already have in our bodies. But you don’t need to wait for a solution. And you shouldn’t. Protect yourself (and your loved ones) from the dangers of lead right now with our breakthrough pitcher filter.