Report: 5300-plus U.S. water systems violated lead-testing rules last year

A report released Tuesday found that more than 5,000 water systems in the U.S. violated federal rules governing lead testing in 2015 (Source: “More than 5,300 U.S. water systems violated lead-testing rules last year,” Washington Post, June 28, 2016).

The report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which analyzed data from the Environmental Protection Agency, found that more than 18 million Americans are served by 5,363 water systems that in 2015 violated the federal rules governing lead testing. The violations included failures to properly monitor for lead, treat water to reduce corrosion in pipes or report testing results to the public or to regulators.

And the report found that despite more than 8,000 documented violations of the EPA's "Lead and Copper Rule," the agency took a formal enforcement action in only 908 cases. "This lack of accountability sends a clear message to water suppliers. ... There is no cop on the beat," the NRDC authors write.

To be clear, the NRDC's analysis does not suggest that all 18 million people served by water systems with 2015 violations actually have excessive lead in their water. For starters, only a small number of taps in any community are tested for lead, and results can vary widely from home to home depending on the presence of lead pipes and lead-bearing fixtures. But Olson and others said that the sheer number of violations and lack of enforcement mean that "millions and millions of people are being put at risk."

In a statement Tuesday, the EPA said that ensuring access to safe drinking water for all Americans is “a top priority” and that the agency “remains committed to vigorous enforcement and compliance assistance to protect public health.”