Milwaukee Water Works supports EPA’s new proposed lead pipe rule

The Milwaukee Water Works on Monday shared its support for a 10-year timeline to remove all lead service lines in cities and towns, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed changes to the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements.

In November, the EPA announced it would improve the proposed Lead and Copper Rule by introducing requirements for most water systems to replace all lead lines within 10 years, require systems to provide regular updates for lead pipe inventories, improve tap sampling and lower the lead action level, according to a federal fact sheet.

“EPA finds that a minimum average annual replacement rate of 10 percent, calculated across a rolling three-year period and corresponding to a 10-year replacement deadline, is feasible,” the Federal Register entry showed.

Patrick Pauly, the superintendent of Milwaukee Water Works, said the utility supports the proposed 10-year timeline for replacing all lead service lines and applauds the agency’s work to incentivize communities to act quickly.

“Without additional federal support when Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding is exhausted, the costs to complete this work within the 10-yeear period will be borne by our customers and city taxpayers, leading to rate increases and limiting the city’s ability to invest in other urgent priorities,” Pauly added.

Wisconsin is expected to receive around $373 million for lead service line replacement over five years of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, water works officials said. It will likely cost more than $700 million to replace all of Milwaukee’s remaining lead service lines, officials added.

Milwaukee Water Works also endorsed reducing the “action level” for lead from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb and called for the agency to allow drinking water utilities to call, text or email residents with notifications of high lead levels. The utility can also send a letter, but officials said it’s not effective for delivering urgent news.

“Water Works makes efforts to notify customers of their lead results as soon as possible after the testing has been completed, but…recommends requiring utilities to reach out to customers within three days either electronically (e.g. email or text message), by phone, or hand delivery. Sending a letter in the mail is not the most effective method of delivering such urgent news,” said Michelle Natarajan, the city water quality manager.

The agency’s proposed rule change would revise the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation under authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act, passed in 1974.

In November, Milwaukee joined the EPA’s Get the Lead Out initiative, which is partnering with 200 communities to help local leaders develop lead service line replacement plans.