Bill Requires Lead-Free Drinking Water in the U.S.

U.S. lawmakers Tuesday introduced a bill to eliminate lead in the nation’s drinking water supply after high levels of the toxic metal were found in the capital’s tap water.

The Lead-Free Drinking Water Act, introduced in the Senate and the House, would require utilities around the country to test their water immediately, and sets stricter standards for notifying customers of problems.

It also would provide $200 million a year for four years to utilities to help them meet tougher standards for replacing lead service lines, believed to be a main source of lead in drinking water.

“It is time to get the lead out of the pipes, out of the water and out of our families and out of our lives,” said Sen. James M. Jeffords (I-Vt.), a bill co-sponsor and a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the United States needs to spend $265 billion over the next 20 years to maintain and improve drinking water systems, according to Jeffords.

“If we don’t address this, we’ll be facing more and more health and environmental issues as our nation’s water infrastructure degrades,” he said.

So far, the bill has no Republican sponsors.

It would set aside $40 million for pipe replacement in Washington, where tap water in thousands of homes last year showed lead levels above 15 parts per billion -- the point at which federal law requires public notice and remedial action.

The water in some homes showed levels more than 30 times higher than the federal threshold, but residents said the city sent only a pro-forma letter informing them of the results and health authorities failed to follow up.