Flint, MI Lead in Water: Now in Five Major States as Major Public Health Issue

The #1 impacted state is FL 

(Followed by: IL, OH, PA, TX)

Lead water pipes back in the news… recall this mess in FLINT, MI back in 2014 cited below for a starting point to more updated news today – refer to the map above to see the updated five major state location updates.

First, this background history from Flint, MI and their lead pipe water crisis:

It was a public health crisis in 2014 after the drinking water for the city was contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria.

In April 2014, during a financial crisis, MI state-appointed emergency manager Darnell Earley changed Flint's water source from Detroit Water & Sewage Department (sourced from Lake Huron and the Detroit River) to the Flint River.

Then Flint residents started to complain about the taste, smell, and appearance of the water. Flint city officials apparently failed to apply corrosion inhibitors to the water, which resulted in lead from aging city pipes to leach into the city’s water supply, thus exposing around 100,000 residents to elevated lead levels and before being corrected, causing 12 deaths.

This updated story of those five states is reflected on the Map above and reported on from the DAILY MAIL with this headline:

“Florida has more than 1.1 m lead pipes carrying water into homes - the most in the U.S.”

    ·  Out of the 9.2 million lead pipes in the U.S., FL is the home to 1.16 million people, followed by IL; OH; PA; and TX.

    ·  The U.S. EPA estimates it will need to spend $625 billion on drinking water infrastructure, including replacement and rehabilitation, over the next 20 years. 

    ·  President Joe Biden has set a goal to replace all the lead pipes in the U.S. through a $15 billion initial infrastructure plan.

Highlights from the article follows: Florida has the most lead water pipes in the U.S. with an estimated 1.16 million with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) saying even low exposures of the material to children could lead to brain damage and learning disabilities.

Out of the 9.2 million lead pipes in the U.S, Florida the home to 1.16 million of them and it came as a was a surprise to one expert as industrial states like OH, MI, and PA PA are more typically associated with extensive lead pipe issues. 

IL ranked second in the U.S. with the most lead pipes, coming in at 1.04 million followed by OH with 745,061, then PA with 688,697, and then TX with 647,640.

Up to 10 million households connect to lead pipes and service lines, according to the Biden Administration. 

The agency's drinking water infrastructure survey will be used to steer billions of dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to water infrastructure upgrades like finding and removing lead pipes in states that need it most.  

The EPA wrote in a statement: “Water is essential. We rely on it from the moment we wake up in the morning and make a cup of coffee until we brush our teeth at night. Our water infrastructure is aging and in need of repair to withstand the challenges of the 21st century. We must maintain and modernize our Nation's water infrastructure to deliver clean drinking water, safely transport, and treat wastewater.”

Previously, a state's share of lead pipe funds was based on its general infrastructure need and didn't consider how many lead pipes the state had. 

Lead can cause brain damage and the EPA says no amount is safe for children's bodies, which has prompted the Biden administration to set a goal to remove all of the country's lead water pipes. 

Lead Poisoning Chart from the Mayo Clinic: 

Medical Experts' chart speaks for itself

The $15 billion from the infrastructure law for lead pipe work will significantly help, but it won't be enough, to solve the problem.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan who made the announcement in IL added: “Every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water. And thanks to President Biden's infrastructure investments, we have an unprecedented opportunity to revitalize America's drinking water systems, support the Biden-Harris administration's goal of removing 100% of lead pipes across our country, and protect communities from PFAS pollution.”

The Biden Administration proposed the plan in late 2021, saying in part: “All Americans deserve to drink clean water, breath clean air, and live in healthy homes.”  

The EPA recently proposed drinking water limits for PFAS: or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances often called forever chemicals, in a push that the agency said will save lives and reduce illness but will require many water providers to install costly treatment systems.

The biggest need is for upgrading water pipes that are too old, broken or in some cases, made of lead and badly corroded like seen in this picture:

FL and IL have collectively estimated a need for $235 billion over the next 20 years to replace all their pipes. 

Other states, like AK, which has the least amount in the country, estimate they need between $100 billion to $273 billion, depending on the number of pipes. 

Some 44 states fall in the 3,000 to 100,000 pipe replacement category. 

The EPA also announced states, territories, and tribes will have $6.5 billion to upgrade drinking water infrastructure, with $6 billion of that total coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law alone.

The rest of this compelling story continues here:

My 2 Cents: Again this is a serious infrastructure problem in the country as stated above.

A lot of work, effort, time, and money will be needed to correct this major public health mater since public health and safety are paramount issues. 

I strongly believe that nothing takes the place of public safety – hopefully that is your view, too, and that is regardless of the cost.

Thanks for stopping by.