Navigating Lead And Copper Rule Revisions

The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) existed before the years-long contamination crisis that began in Flint, Michigan in 2014, but the attention brought forth by that scandal made lead poisoning a national issue. While Flint's problems revolved around a change in the water source and leaching from water mains, the more common source of lead in drinking water stems from lead service lines delivering water from public water mains to the tap, often on private property. It therefore becomes a difficult logistical, regulatory, and economic quandary to solve — but it must be solved nonetheless. The American Water Works Association (AWWA), a leading voice of policy for drinking water issues, has called for the replacement of all lead service lines, and the World Health Organization, U.S. EPA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) all agree that there is no safe level of lead in a child's blood. With all these factors as the backdrop, the EPA finalized Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) to strengthen the LCR in December of 2021 and set the deadline for utility compliance for October 16, 2024. This guide will help answer questions and bolster your strategy for meeting LCRR requirements.