SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, a coalition of 22 organizations dedicated to environmental protection, public health, and the welfare of low-income communities and children’s health, including the Environmental Working Group, urged the State Water Resources Control Board to fully track the presence of lead and galvanized pipes in California’s drinking water system.
The state’s latest inventory of lead and galvanized pipes has glaringly overlooked the vast majority of pipes slated for replacement through recent federal funding. This oversight has triggered a substantial setback for the state, with the Environmental Protection Agency slashing California’s 2023 annual allocation for lead pipe removal by a staggering 89 percent.
These organizations have taken proactive measures, including sending formal letters and making public statements about the need for the water board to mandate a comprehensive tally of lead service lines, lead connectors such as goosenecks, and galvanized lines within California’s drinking water infrastructure.
“California’s failure to enforce inventory requirements for lead connectors and galvanized lines persists and is a significant risk to our exposure to lead,” said Susan Little, EWG senior advocate for government affairs in California. “The state has already forfeited hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. The time to act is now.”
Citing recent tests that revealed one out of every four childcare centers statewide exceeded permissible lead levels in their drinking water, the organizations’ letter underscores the fact that California is squandering an unprecedented chance to safeguard its most vulnerable residents and protect all Californians.
They write:
The exceedances at childcare centers up and down the state should serve as a warning that residents too may be exposed to unsafe levels of lead in their drinking water. We hoped that the Board would heed this most recent warning, but it appears reticent to do so; the board is not properly inventorying lead lines that contribute to lead contamination.
With federal funds at the state's disposal, these organizations assert that the state has no justification for failing to conduct comprehensive assessments, including a thorough examination of lead connectors and galvanized pipes.
“California must seize this unique opportunity to replace lead-contaminated lines, which are likely affecting a substantial number of taps,” said Little.
Lead is a neurotoxin that can irreversibly damage babies’ and young children’s nervous systems, studies show. Even small amounts of lead can lower a child’s intelligence, cause behavior and learning difficulties, slow growth and harm hearing.
Because of lead’s neurotoxicity and potential to cause lifelong harm, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that lead in water not exceed one part per billion.
The EPA recently issued its 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment to Congress, which relies on the incomplete information gathered from water systems in California.
The organizations urgently stress that the EPA has granted states an extension of two months to update their reported needs.
“There must be a comprehensive assessment of lead connectors and galvanized lines, on both public and private property,” said Little.
“It is imperative that California document these lines and send this critical data to the EPA. Only through swift action can we secure the essential funding required to protect Californians from the ongoing health threat of lead exposure,” she added.
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The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
