How much would it cost to replace all lead water pipes in the US?

According to the EPA, the average cost of replacing just one line is $4,700. The cost of replacing all lead lines would range from $28 billion to $47 billion based on the agency’s other estimates, or as high as $60 billion using the NRDC numbers.

How many lead pipes are believed to be in US plumbing?

After conducting a survey of these lead pipes in the United States, NRDC estimates that there is a range of 9.7 million to 12.8 million pipes that are, or may be, lead, spread across all 50 states, including those that claim to have none.

What percent of pipes are lead?

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) has reduced the maximum allowable lead content — that is, content that is considered “lead-free” — to be a weighted average of 0.25 percent calculated across the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures and 0.2 percent for solder and flux.

When did houses stop using lead pipes?

1986
Congress banned the use of lead pipes in 1986 but allowed those already in the ground to remain. Three decades later, an estimated 15 to 22 million Americans still cook with and drink tap water entering their homes through lead pipes, known as “service lines.”

How much will it cost to replace lead pipes?

That figure is based on the EPA estimate of nine million lead service lines in the U.S. and the American Water Works Association estimate that it costs about $5,000 to replace each one.

When did the US stop using lead pipes?

What are lead pipes?

A lead service line (LSL, also known as lead service pipe, and lead connection pipe) is a pipe made of lead which is used in potable water distribution to connect a water main to a user’s premises. There have been widespread lead exposures resulting from failures of corrosion control, such as the Flint water crisis.

When were lead pipes phased?

How much does it cost to have lead pipes replaced?

The only permanent and 100\% effective solution is a full lead service line replacement, which can be expensive—the EPA estimates an average cost of $4,700, ranging from $1,200 to $12,300 per line.

How much does it cost to replace a lead service line?

The only permanent and 100\% effective solution is a full lead service line replacement, which can be expensive—the EPA estimates an average cost of $4,700, ranging from $1,200 to $12,300 per line. Lead service lines often extend onto private property, complicating the replacement process.