Millions of Americans could be drinking lead-contaminated water according to a new survey by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The agency’s seventh Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA) found an estimated 9.2 million lead service lines carrying water into homes nationwide.
“Every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in an April 4 press release.
Florida topped the nation with the highest number of lead pipes, followed by Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The first-of-its-kind survey was mandated by America’s Infrastructure Water Act of 2018.
The agency assessed more than 3,600 public water systems across the nation, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories in 2021 as part of the DWINSA (pdf)….