US lead pipe replacements stoke concerns about plastic and environmental injustice

Roughly 9.2 million lead pipes deliver drinking water to homes, schools and other buildings in the U.S., according to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate released last month.

The Biden administration has announced its intention to replace all lead service lines within 10 years; and in 2021, Congress made $15 billion available for lead service line replacement through the bipartisan infrastructure law that passed last year. The EPA estimates the average cost to replace a lead service line is $4,700, putting the total need at $43 billion....
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Ken Notes: Please remember lead pipe is old and well coated with minerals that protect water passing through it. Replacement must happen when the pipe is disturbed or water treatment is modified in a way that would remove the coating (i,e, Flint MI). We need a policy to monitor and test for this and a long range plan to remediate the pipe.