MAINE PUBLIC • November 30, 2023
A new proposal from the federal Environmental Protection Agency calls for the replacement of some 9 million lead water pipes over the next decade. In Maine, recent EPA data suggest there are more than 18,000 lead pipes that carry water to homes, schools and other buildings, which represent 0.2% of the nation's lead service lines. Pete Nichols, director of the Maine chapter of the Sierra Club, said the announcement is long overdue, even though Maine is ahead of the curve in many ways. Maine banned lead pipes much earlier than other states. And under Maine law, four parts per billion is an acceptable level of lead exposure. The federal government is now proposing that lead action levels be lowered from 15 to 10 parts per billion.