Pittsburgh and Philadelphia alone report 29,000 and 25,000 lead pipes, respectively, and a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council noted that its numbers underestimate the problem due to a lack of data. The council report estimated that more than 660,000 service lines in Pennsylvania contain lead. “In a new level of detail, we see a pervasive problem with cities and towns, big and small, across the country that have documented where people are drinking through what amounts to a lead straw, and where we do not even know the pipe materials,” the report authors wrote. State and federal funds have provided money for lead pipe removal in recent years. In January, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced $200 million for water system upgrades and lead pipe removal. The commonwealth received $300 million in 2022 for water infrastructure projects. State legislators have also pushed for more state funding.
Source: Daily Local; 9/30/2024