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Trans Texans call for recognition on Trans Day of VisibilityPoll: Most WV voters oppose privatizing Public Employees Insurance Agency; Proposed SNAP cuts would hit Mississippi especially hard; President says reciprocal tariffs will start with all nations.

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President Trump says there are ways for him to take a third term. New tariffs are scheduled for this week, but economists say they'll hurt buying power. And advocates say the Trans Day of Visibility is made more important by state legislation.

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Rural folks face significant clean air and water risks due to EPA cutbacks, a group of policymakers is working to expand rural health care via mobile clinics, and a new study maps Montana's news landscape.

PA replacing lead water pipes to ensure safe drinking water

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Monday, February 10, 2025   

Pennsylvania is working to eliminate lead pipes under the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which require most lead pipes to be removed within ten years.

The EPA estimates that 10% to 20% of human exposure to lead may come from drinking water.

Mora McLaughlin - construction communications project manager with Pittsburgh Water - said it aims to meet benchmarks such as replacing lead service lines and improving corrosion control, using a prioritization model to allocate resources effectively, especially in neighborhoods that are most at need or at risk for lead contamination.

"Neighborhoods that perhaps cannot afford to do this, or it will be a financial burden to do it," said McLaughlin, "areas where we know there are a lot of children, and areas where we know there are elevated blood lead levels in children, those are the main factors that we look at that we then develop our program from."

McLaughlin noted that Pennsylvania has received more than $90 million in low-interest loans through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act - for replacing lead pipes with copper, achieving an average of 1,500 replacements annually.

McLaughlin said the neighborhood lead service line replacement programs allocate contract construction crews to inspect and replace any discovered lead lines.

This initiative covers both public and private sections at no cost to the customer.

"But Pittsburgh is an old city, so we have a lot of aging infrastructure - not just on the service line but on some of our water mains as well," said McLaughlin. "So we have an annual program that identifies aging or undersized water mains, and we replace those as well, to the tune of about six to 12 miles per year. "

Maureen Cunningham - chief strategy officer and director of water with Environmental Policy Innovation Center - said new legislation now prioritizes replacing lead pipes, to reduce and potentially eliminate lead in drinking water.

She added that lead is a neurotoxin and can result in many health issues.

"There's basically no safe level of lead in drinking water for human health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and multiple other health organizations," said Cunningham. "Lead can actually accumulate in the body over time and be stored in the bones. It can during pregnancy, pass from the mother to the fetus or infant."

Cunningham added that the U.S. needs $1.2 trillion for water infrastructure upgrades, including $625 billion for drinking water alone, as aging systems require replacement.


Disclosure: Environmental Policy Innovation Center contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Environment, Water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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