Lead and Copper Rule

US drinking water regulation

The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) is a United States federal regulation that limits the concentration of lead and copper allowed in public drinking water at the consumer's tap, as well as limiting the permissible amount of pipe corrosion occurring due to the water itself. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first issued the rule in 1991 pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The EPA promulgated the regulations following studies that concluded that copper and lead have an adverse effect on individuals. The LCR limits the levels of these metals in water through improving water treatment centers, determining copper and lead levels for customers who use lead plumbing parts, and eliminating the water source as a source of lead and copper. If the lead and copper levels exceed the "action levels", water suppliers are required to educate their consumers on how to reduce exposure to lead. In a 2005 report EPA stated that the LCR requirements had been effective in 96 percent of systems serving at least 3,300 people. The EPA has stated that the LCR has reduced exposure to lead "that can cause damage to brain, red blood cells, and kidneys, especially for young children and pregnant women." It also explained that the rule has reduced copper exposure "that can cause stomach and intestinal distress, liver or kidney damage, and complications of Wilson’s disease in genetically predisposed people." EPA published a revised LCR in 2021.

Although lead is a known poison, the mechanical and chemical characteristics of the metal continue to keep lead as an important component in many products. In water supply, lead's durability and workability made it preferable for use as water pipes (as compared to, for example, iron pipes). Lead alloys (bronze, brass) are used for plumbing fittings, and lead solders were also preferred. While state and local governments began to prohibit installation of lead pipes early in the twentieth century, lead alloys continued to be used. Alternative pipe materials have been iron, copper, and later plastics. Although new lead pipes weren't installed later in the 20th century, some existing lead pipes remain in service in many cities. The U. S. Public Health Service published a non enforceable standard for lead in 1925, consisting of a tolerance limit of 0.1 mg/L. Partially because of the continued use of lead pipes, some states regulated the corrosivity of treated water put into the distribution system. Waters which would deposit a protective coating on the pipes rather than dissolving the pipe were preferred. Corrosion indexes such as pH or Langelier Saturation Index are not necessarily representative of the lead corrosion potential in a particular water/pipe system, nor did they measure the amount of lead to which customers were exposed. In the second half of the twentieth century, concern was growing about what constituted a safe level of lead. The National Academy of Sciences conducted studies on the toxicity of lead (and other drinking water contaminants) as required by the SDWA. The academy's 1977 report suggested that the drinking water standard for lead in effect at that time may not be sufficiently protective of human health. The 1986 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments defined "lead free" plumbing and prohibited the use of plumbing for public water supply that did not meet the new definition. The amendments also required the EPA to set standards limiting the concentration of lead in public water systems. The Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, enacted in 2011, tightened the definition of "lead free" plumbing fixtures and fittings.

EPA first issued the Lead and Copper Rule on June 7, 1991. The rule required public water systems serving more than 50,000 people to survey their corrosion control systems and to obtain state approval for their systems by January 1, 1997. Smaller systems were only required to replace their pipelines if action levels were exceeded in measurements taken at the tap. EPA published a white paper in 2016 discussing options for additional revisions to the rule. To implement the 2011 Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, EPA published a final rule on September 1, 2020. In response to the Flint, Michigan water crisis, EPA published a final rule on January 15, 2021 addressing testing, pipe replacement and related issues. The rule mandates additional requirements for sampling tap water, corrosion control, public outreach and testing water in schools. The rule continues the requirement for replacement of lead service lines (LSLs) when the action level is exceeded, but requires that a utility replace at least 3 percent of its lines annually, compared to 7 percent under the prior regulation. The EPA takes the position that although 3% is less than 7%, the new replacement program has fewer loopholes. Under the prior version, water systems were able to "test out" of the LSL replacement program, delay implementation because they did not have LSL inventories, or complete partial replacements and therefore, few water systems ever satisfied the full 7%. On March 12, 2021 EPA delayed the effective date of the rule to June 17, 2021. In December 2021, the EPA announced that it is developing a proposed rule to strengthen the LCR's regulatory framework. In December 2023, the EPA released its proposed rule, which would require the removal of all lead pipes within ten years at an estimated cost of $20 30 billion, largely funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's $15 billion investment in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. Additionally, the proposal would lowering the action level of lead contamination to 10ppb from the current limit of 15ppb. The proposal exempts areas where a ten year replacement of all lead piping is infeasible, instead requiring that major metropolitan areas like Chicago, Illinois, replace at least 10,000 pipes per year.

Most of the lead found in drinking water leaches from lead service lines, the customer's pipes, fittings, and solder rather than from the source water. As a result, sampling is done from the customer's taps. When more than 10% of samples exceed the LCR's Action Level (15ppb for lead and 1.3ppm for copper), state and municipal governments must check their plumbing systems semi annually and intervene by investigating, recommending treatments, identifying the source of contamination, removing lead plumbing, and offering public education.

The EPA was investigated by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2003 following the discovery of higher than acceptable copper and lead levels in tap water in the District of Columbia. The GAO reported that the EPA had not been collecting copper and lead levels from the states, despite claims that the levels of copper and lead have decreased; data for 72 percent of water systems were missing. The EPA may have been lacking data because more resources were being dedicated to lead regulation than lead reporting.

On April 23, 2019, Status Coup, an independent investigative reporting network co founded by Jordan Chariton and Jenn Dize, released the documentary Flushing Flint which claimed that water testing in Flint, Michigan conducted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) was manipulated by MDEQ staff, by taking water samples after flushing running water from taps for several minutes before taking the samples. This was contrary to normal procedures for water testing for copper and lead. The documentary also alleged that MDEQ staff told residents to collect water samples after flushing running water from their taps for several minutes. This contravened EPA guidance stating that samples taken must be "first draw samples at taps in homes/buildings".