Missouri has an alarming amount of Lead Pipes to Replace

The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to eliminate lead from our drinking water, and that means a shocking amount of lead pipes in Missouri need to be replaced, and fast. Is your drinking water impacted?

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According to the St. Louis Business Journal, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is proposing a new rule that would mean parts of Missouri would have to replace thousands of lead pipes. How many pipes exactly? On their site, they say...

"The EPA announced a proposed update to the lead and copper rule strengthening President Joe Biden’s earlier goal of eradicating lead pipes. The proposed rule also would lower the limit on lead in water by one-third...The EPA estimates Missouri has 202,112 remaining lead service lines while the environmental nonprofit the Natural Resources Defense Council estimates more than 330,000."

Estimations between 202,112 and 330,000+ lead pipes in the Show-Me State that would need to be eliminated...wow.

Why now?

The article mentions that since 1986 utilities have no longer been allowed to use lead pipes, but have never been forced to replace them. So for almost 40 years, we have not been allowing you to build with lead pipes but while also saying "Sure, go ahead and keep the old ones you have." Experts in the article talk about the impacts drinking water with lead can have on developing children, and you can read all about that by clicking here! 

To me, it feels like a no-brainer to replace the lead pipes. We are the greatest country in the world, we shouldn't have any of our citizens drinking poisoned water. The article does mention how these pipes would have to be replaced within 10 years of this new rule, and the sooner the better in my opinion.