Chicago has a lead problem and the Biden Administration is giving our city 10 years to fix it.
Under a new set of guidelines by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all lead pipes must be removed from U.S. water systems within the next decade, according to the White House. President Biden will announce the new regulations in Wisconsin on Tuesday.
Taking water regulations a step further
The updated deadline expands the President’s previous commitment to clean water, made possible through his Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan.
According to the Associated Press, the new EPA regulations are stricter than the previously established clean water mandates. Under the new plan, lead levels in public water must not surpass the “action level” of 10 parts per billion, a decrease from the current limit of 15 parts per billion.
“[S]ince day one, the president and the vice president have been clear that all Americans, no matter where they come from, should have access to their most basic needs, including being able to turn on the tap and drink clean drinking water without fear,” said White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian in a statement.
Chicago’s path to clean water access
In recent years, Chicago has taken action to address its lead service lines, but the city still has a long way to go. According to the Department of Water Management, there are approximately 400,000 remaining lead service lines in Chicago.
Past regulatory agreements required Chicago to introduce corrosion-fighting chemicals into the city water supply, limiting the amount of lead that can dissolve from existing pipes.
However, according to the Chicago Tribune, the chemicals aren’t foolproof, and as such the only fully effective way to stop lead exposure is to remove all impacted service lines.
With a more stringent timeline, the Biden Administration will allocate money from the infrastructure bill to make its clean water initiative possible. The White House recently announced a $336 million loan to Chicago to replace lead service lines.
Chicago has also instituted numerous programs to speed up the process, including fully financed replacements for qualifying homeowners and waivers for contractor fees up to $5,000. Click here to learn more about water safety and lead service line replacement in Chicago.