July 28, 2004—Since 2000, fewer than 4% of large- and medium-sized drinking water systems have exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) lead action level, according to information gathered by the agency and available online. The information represents lead monitoring conducted by 89% of the nation’s large and medium drinking water systems, which together serve more than 200 million people.
Under EPA regulations, if tap samples from more than 10% of the customers served by a single system exceed the 15 parts per billion (ppb) action level for lead, the utility must control corrosion, increase monitoring, educate the public and, in some cases, replace lead service lines.
The data received to date show that 12 large and 73 medium systems exceeded the 15 ppb lead action level in monitoring periods concluded after 2003. Since 2000, 27 large and 237 medium systems, or fewer than 4% of all water systems, have exceeded the action level in one or more monitoring periods.
EPA is conducting a review of how the national primary drinking water regulation for lead is implemented nationwide in response to elevated levels of lead in Washington, DC, drinking water, partly to determine if the problems found in the District reflect those happening nationally. A summary of the findings for large and medium systems and related data is available from EPA.
