Making replacement happen

Not all U.S. public utilities must replace every lead service line by 2034 under the EPA’s newly proposed rule, which still needs to complete a public comment process before it becomes official.

Utilities in some cities will get more time, but only if they have a high quantity of lead pipes. If cities have to replace more than 39 service lines for every 1,000 households each year — or more than 10,000 service lines in a year — they might qualify for a deferred deadline.

But the EPA estimates that somewhere between 96% and 99% of utilities in the country won’t be eligible for such extensions, Burneson said.

There are some “obvious candidates” that likely would qualify, Burneson said, including Chicago, Cleveland and New York City.

Baltimore is still reviewing the EPA rule to determine its next steps, Combs said.

And a mandate to root out lead pipes is one thing. Having the funding is another.

The EPA is giving Baltimore $43 million of federal infrastructure funding to support the cost of completing the survey and replacing service lines.

It’s likely the expansive project could cost much more. The extra funding could come from other federal funding sources and from the state legislature, Via said. It also could come from the utilities themselves, depending on local rules on the use of ratepayer dollars. But ultimately some of the cost might fall directly onto water customers who still have lead service lines, he said.

“It is different for every community and it’s not going to be just one of those,” Via said. “It’s probably going to be a mix.”

Dickerson said she wants to be optimistic that it will be possible for Baltimore and other cities to replace all lead pipes by the time the decade is up. But, she said, history has shown that it’s hard to be optimistic about the timeliness of completing such federal mandates.

“So much can happen within 10 years,” she said. “Something else might become a financial priority, and that can get tossed aside.”