Toward a Lead-free Public Water Supply: The Course Is Set but the Pace Must Quicken

摘要

Issues of lead in drinking water should be raised within the context of a well-balanced and holistic environmental approach that addresses all sources of lead exposure, especially for infants and children. Many groups can play a significant role in achieving a lead-free public water supply, but utilities are the stakeholders that will control how fast it happens. Someday the issue of lead in tap water will be a concern of the past, replaced by other issues such as determining the longevity of copper plumbing in homes and buildings. Someday the US Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule will become outdated and may even be replaced by a corrosion- control rule for protecting the water supply infrastructure in general. Someday we will no longer be concerned about lead in tap water. However, the questions today are: How long will it take to get to a lead-free public water supply? What course are we currently on, and when will we get to our final destination?