Michigan moves toward toughest USA lead-in-drinking-water rule

Photo: Michigan could have the toughest lead in drinking water regulations in the nation.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is moving forward with proposed changes to the lead and copper rule. If approved, Michigan would hold the toughest regulations on lead in drinking water in the nation. Among the policy revisions is a motion to lower the acceptable lead level in a community’s tap water. If the law passes, the “action level” of 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead would drop to 10 ppb.

”Though no amount lead is safe in water, reducing that down is going to be very important,” says Chris Kolb, president of the Michigan Environmental Council. A change in action level is just one of the proposed revisions.

Another includes requiring that communities test for lead and copper annually rather than every three years. But the most controversial change to the current policy is a move to require every city in the state to replace every lead line, in full, at the expense of its water system.

“From a public health standpoint, this is something that we have to do,” Kolb says. “These regulations and rules provide a framework and a very reasonable time […]

Full article: Michigan moves toward the toughest lead in drinking water rule in the nation