Lead in Tap Water – Drinking Water Utilities and Public Health Collaboration to Promote Community Health

Reducing environmental lead exposure is a crucial part of public health initiatives. Elimination of leaded gasoline and paint were great strides forward, and drinking water utilities removed lead main and service lines. Exposures were further reduced with lead abatement programs for dust and soil. The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) is a corrosion control rule for drinking water that seeks to reduce the amount of lead in tap water. The rule was reviewed in 2004, and it was determined significant revisions were needed in the Public Notification and Public Education requirements for utilities exceeding the limits in the rule. In 2008, EPA released LCR revisions and guidance that directs drinking water utilities to collaborate with public health departments and other organizations to extend the reach on information about lead in water.

Many of these recommendations were modeled after the approach used by the Portland Water Bureau for their community education and outreach on lead in tap water. Rather than using the traditional language and notices in newspapers and utility publications, the Water Bureau decided to leverage their resources with the Multnomah County Health Department to enhance and extend a comprehensive lead program looking at all exposures, and providing advice and mitigation in that context. This session will present the Lead and Copper Rule, the collaboration and communication needed between the public health and drinking water sectors, and provide a case study on the Portland Water Bureau program.