Ohio communities look to update water systems

Farah Siddiqi

Lead contamination in drinking water continues to be a significant concern in Ohio.

With new federal regulations to tackle the issue, local water utilities are accelerating their efforts to replace aging infrastructure.

Kevin Kappers, lead program manager for the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, explained what the changes mean.

"How EPA regulates lead and copper in drinking water changed, so all utilities are reacting to make sure they stay in compliance," Kappers pointed out. "We have already had a lead service line replacement program since 2018, but what that means for us is, we're accelerating that."

Federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements mandate replacing lead service lines within the next decade. But concerns remain about funding and logistic challenges, especially for smaller Ohio communities with fewer resources to comply with these changes.

Alicia Smith, executive director of the Junction Coalition in Toledo, and other advocates stressed the importance of communication and transparency about lead contamination between cities and their residents.

"You have to tell families what and how this impacts their lives. If you don't do that, then no one's doing it right," Smith argued. "The intersectionality of infrastructure impacts public health, public safety and public awareness, for the benefit of environmental and economic justice."

Maureen Cunningham, chief strategy officer and director of water at the Environmental Policy Innovation Center, emphasized the hazards of lead in water systems.

"Lead is a neurotoxin; there's basically no safe level of lead in drinking water for human health," Cunningham noted. "Replacing lead service lines, and replacing all lead in our water systems, will significantly reduce and hopefully even eliminate the threat of lead in drinking water."

Jeff Swertfeger, superintendent of water quality and treatment for the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, stressed the importance of public participation in updating the systems.

"Participation by the people who own those houses that may have lead lines is really important, to get cooperation in order to get those lines out," Swertfeger explained. "A lot of our pipes are over 100 years old. There's a lot of needs in drinking water now, besides just lead."

Nationally, $15 billion in federal funding is available for lead line replacements.