Kildee Legislation Seeks Tougher Lead Standards for Drinking Water

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) today introduced legislation that would establish tougher drinking water standards nationwide to protect families from the threat of lead in their drinking water. The bill would bring Michigan and other states in line with water safety guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other developed countries that currently have higher drinking water safety standards. Congressman Kildee's bill would reduce the threshold amount of lead found in drinking water before federal action is required from its current level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 5 ppb. His proposal would be phased in over the course of a decade, first decreasing the lead action level to 10 ppb by 2020, which is in line with a recent proposal by Michigan's Governor in the wake of the Flint water crisis. Congressman Kildee's legislation would further decrease the federal limit to 5 ppb by 2026. "The Flint water crisis has been a wake-up call to cities and towns across the United States that we must do more to protect our families from the threat of lead in our drinking water," Congressman Kildee said. "Simply put, our country's drinking water protections are outdated and a patchwork of different rules. There are currently different drinking water standards when it comes to bottled water versus tap water. We must do more to protect families and our drinking water, and that starts with passing better standards for drinking water quality. This legislation would bring America's drinking water standards in line with the rest of the developed world." The WHO currently has a lead action level of 10 ppb, and is working to tighten its standards to 5 ppb. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration uses a standard of 5 ppb for lead in bottled water. However, under current U.S. law and the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), established in 1991, the federal action level for water from our taps is higher – 15 parts per billion (ppb) In the wake of the Flint water crisis, Congressman Kildee testified before the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC) in November 2015 regarding changes to federal policy, including the LCR, to make drinking water safer. This is the third piece of legislation in recent months that Congressman Kildee has introduced related to the Flint water crisis. In February, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Kildee's legislation strengthening public notification requirements when concentrations of lead in drinking water exceed actionable levels. Congressman Kildee also introduced the Families of Flint Act, a comprehensive bill focusing on the immediate and long-term investments needed for Flint's recovery, including infrastructure repairs, wrap-around services for families and children exposed to lead, economic development grants for the city and long-term health monitoring for Flint residents

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