October 15, 2007—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is helping to reduce lead in drinking water by issuing a final rule that will improve requirements in the areas of monitoring, customer awareness, and lead service line replacement. Specifically, the agency will require water suppliers to provide consumers with information to help them make decisions about how to limit their exposure to lead in drinking water.
The final rule is one outcome of EPA’s March 2005 Drinking Water Lead Reduction Plan, which arose from EPA’s analysis of the current regulation and state and local implementation. Since release of the plan, the agency has released guidance to help public water systems better understand the potential impacts of treatment changes on their ability to control lead and asked the National Drinking Water Advisory Council to provide recommendations on public education requirements. The agency has also provided new or updated guidance and tools to help schools and child care facilities to monitor for lead in drinking water.
For a copy of the rule and more information, visit OSHA’s Lead in Drinking Water Web site.
