The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed an ambitious overhaul of the federal Lead and Copper Rule called the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. Michigan officials said the state is already implementing strategies laid out in the proposal after years-long crises with lead in drinking water in Flint and Benton Harbor.
The proposed new rules aim to protect people from the health effects of lead exposure through drinking water, according to the EPA. It includes the replacement of all lead service lines in the country within 10 years and lowering the lead action level from 15 to 10 parts per billion.
Also outlined in the proposed changes is first- and fifth-liter testing at sites with lead service lines, which Michigan officials said the state has been doing since 2019.
The first-liter sample measures water that is in contact with the faucet and interior plumbing, while the fifth-liter sample typically allows evaluation of water that has been sitting in the service line outside of a home or business. The higher of the two values is used when determining lead levels in the water.
Lead service lines connect homes and businesses to the water main. Michigan has approximately 331,000 service lines that are known or likely to contain lead, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
Although Michigan's Lead and Copper Rule outlines 100% replacement of these lines within the next 20 years, replacement could be expedited if the necessary funds are secured. This happened in Benton Harbor, which received more than $18 million to replace its lead lines after city commissioners declared a state of emergency in October 2021.
“Michigan is already ahead of these proposed national standards and has the strongest lead standards in the country. This is testament to Governor Whitmer’s commitment to ensuring all Michiganders have access to clean, healthy drinking water,” said a spokesperson for the state environment department.
Michigan enacted its own Lead and Copper Rule in 2018 amid the Flint water crisis. The rule established action levels for lead and copper that, if exceeded, prompt monitoring and other requirements to minimize exposure to lead and copper in drinking water. The state is already on track to reduce the action level from 15 parts per billion to 12 by 2025.
According to the EPA, exposure to lead in drinking water can affect people of all ages and is particularly dangerous to children: in that group, it can cause behavioral problems and decrease IQ and attention span. In adults, lead exposure can increase risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney and nervous system problems. The EPA and other federal agencies also say that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water.
Elin Betanzo is the founder of Safe Water Engineering, a Detroit-based consulting firm that works to improve access to safe drinking water. She said removing them is an important step toward reducing exposure.
“Lead service lines are the largest-magnitude source of lead that’s in contact with our water. This will really accelerate the pace of getting those lead service lines out; that is the key to preventing this problem,” Betanzo said.
