August 18, 2006—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in July plans to tighten its rules on lead in order to make drinking water safer in homes and buildings. The proposed revisions would affect the lead portions of the lead-and-copper rule for drinking water. The proposal would:
- Revise monitoring requirements to ensure that water samples show how effective lead controls are;
- Clarify the timing of sample collection and tighten criteria for reducing the frequency of monitoring;
- Require that utilities receive state approval of treatment changes so that states can provide direction or require additional monitoring;
- Require that water utilities notify occupants of the results of any testing that occurs within a home or facility. It also would ensure that consumers receive information about how to limit their exposure to lead in drinking water; and
- Require systems to reevaluate lead service lines that may have previously been identified as low risk after any major treatment changes that could affect corrosion control.
For more information about this proposal and about lead in drinking water, visit EPA’s Lead in Drinking Water page.
