Hidden Concerns in Plumbing
Mary-Anna Holden is a former New Jersey BPU Commissioner and Butch Howard is a former South Carolina PSC Commissioner.
Less than a year from now, water systems must have a finalized, publicly available lead service line replacement plan in place for one or more lead, galvanized-requiring-replacement (GRR) or lead status-unknown service lines.
Under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) finalized in October 2024, water systems were given three years – until November 1, 2027 – to finalize their Lead Service Line (LSL) replacement plans, complete baseline service line inventories, and officially begin the EPA’s mandated ten-year replacement program. This LCRI updated the Lead and Copper Rule of 1991.
The updated LCRI provides an exception in the form of an extended compliance timeline for water systems with a high proportion of lead and galvanized service lines, estimated at approximately one percent of systems nationwide, where replacing ten percent per year would impose extreme logistical constraints.
Specifically, eligibility for a deferred deadline is calculated by dividing total lead/GRR lines by ten years, then dividing by total connections. If that math yields more than 39 replacements per 1,000 connections per year, the water system qualifies for an extension beyond ten years.