Enforcement of Lead Laws and Regulations in Region 3

EPA awarded the School District of Philadelphia $4.9 million through the WIIN 2105 Lead Reduction in Drinking Water grant program. The project is one of six selected in a national competition and will reduce lead exposure for nearly 200,000 students. The School District will utilize these funds to expand an existing lead remediation program in public school buildings and facilities, conducting building assessments and installing hydration stations and point-of-use filters. Schools will be prioritized based on neighborhood location and student age, Philadelphia Department of Health lead surveillance and blood lead level data, and EPA’s EJ Screen tool.   

The Clarksburg Water Board implemented corrosion control treatment (CCT) on December 13, 2022. Monthly sequential profile samples from homes with lead service lines monitoring the effect of CCT on lead levels in their distribution system have shown a decrease in lead levels after implementation of CCT. The Clarksburg water board continues to monitor concentrations of orthophosphate throughout their distribution system to ensure effective treatment. The Clarksburg Water Board continues to make progress on the identification of lead service lines, specifically for the customer-owned portion of the service line, as well as the replacement of lead service lines.  

Since mid-January 2023, EPA Region 3 and the Office of Research and Development (ORD) have been working together to address lead in drinking water in Piedmont, WV (Piedmont Municipal Water Works, WV3302921).  

On January 17, 2023, the WV Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) alerted EPA Region 3 that the Piedmont Municipal Water Works had elevated lead levels in drinking water coupled with no certified operator running the drinking water plant. This prompted DHHR to issue a “Do Not Use for Human Consumption” order. Bottled water and a bottle filling station was made available for residents and an administrative order was issued requiring enhanced public notification, lead public education materials, and the provision of bottled water. 

Collectively, EPA worked closely with WV DHHR to provide guidance and direction on the notification and education materials and in reviewing WV’s administrative order, as well as help in the planning to procure point of use filters to be provided to residents after the “Do Not Use for Human Consumption” order was lifted. Following Piedmont obtaining a certified operator, the “Do Not Use for Human Consumption” order was lifted on March 30, 2023. Upon lifting the order, notification, and public education materials to filter drinking water, along with nearly 400 pitcher filters certified to remove lead, were distributed to those served by Piedmont Municipal Water Works. A second distribution of pitcher filters and education materials occurred during the first and second quarters of 2024 and is expected to continue as EPA, WVDHHR, and Piedmont work together toward addressing the elevated levels of lead in the Piedmont Municipal Water Works system. Continued ongoing work includes special water quality sampling for lead and other parameters from residences in Piedmont; inventorying service lines; organization for blood lead level (BLL) testing, discussion and planning for alternate permanent drinking water sources; and corrosion control strategies.   

Service Line Inventory Training for all DC water systems occurred during the third quarter of FY2023 and outlined the requirements for submitting these by the October 16, 2024, deadline. Region 3 continues to provide additional ongoing assistance to help address questions and concerns through additional EPA Region 3/DC system meetings. These meetings have occurred during Q1/Q2 2024 and are expected to continue during Q3/Q4 2024.   

Region 3 continues to collaborate with other regions and Headquarters on the development of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). The proposed LCRI was published in the first quarter of 2024. During the second quarter of 2024, following comments received on the proposed LCRI, EPA Region 3 provided input on final LCRI options selection. The final LCRI was issued on October 8, 2024. 

Region 3 and state partners spanning across four different states (Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) have been working closely with 40 total communities (10 communities in each region) to address existing barriers and accelerate progress towards Lead Service Line (LSL) identification and replacement as part of the Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Accelerator project. These efforts are primary components of the Lead and Copper Rule (LCRR) and the LCRI. The LSLR Accelerator project is intended to accelerate LSLR by providing free technical assistance for inventories, replacement planning, and seeking infrastructure funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Currently, ten EPA Region 3 water systems in Pennsylvania are working on implementing work plans specific to their water system’s needs and aims to set them up to identify LSLs and accelerate LSLR. EPA headquarters, regional staff, and respective state directors and state staff participating in this project meet weekly to discuss progress in their regions and state and share lessons learned to date. The best practices and lessons learned by working with these water systems will be shared to benefit other water systems across the country to help accelerate LSLR.