Shocking EPA Findings: 9 Million Contaminated US Lead Water Pipes

The Environmental Protection Agency released a jolting report on April 4th, 2023, revealing the results of the 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA) conducted in 2021. The survey aimed to identify crucial infrastructure projects required to sustain the public’s access to safe drinking water over the next two decades. The outcome of the investigation was nothing short of alarming.

New Discovery: Lead Pipes Impacting Millions More People Than Initially Believed

The number of lead service lines (LSLs) in the United States has now been revised to a staggering 9.2 million, surpassing the previous estimate of 7.3 million. This means that more people are impacted by lead pipes than previously believed. The number of LSLs varies across states, with Alaska having the lowest at 1,454, and Florida and Illinois having over 2 million LSLs combined. The survey, which included 3,629 public water systems across all 60 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and other U.S territories, focused on questions regarding lead service lines. Check out the full press report for more information here.

The time to act is right now, all Berkey water filters and Clearly Filtered water filters that we sell target lead by filtering out over 99% of it.

Ranking of U.S States with the Highest Number of Lead Service Lines

52) Alaska: 1,454
51) Oregon: 3,530
50) South Dakota: 4,141
49) Vermont: 5,263
48) Nevada: 9,048
47) Hawaii: 9,589
46) Wyoming: 10,477
45) Mississippi: 11,098
44) Arizona: 11,429
43) California: 13,476
42) Montana: 14,125
41) Utah: 14,293
40) New Hampshire: 14,819
39) New Mexico: 15,453
38) Maine: 18,057
37) West Virginia: 20,259
36) Washington: 22,030

35) North Dakota: 26,443
34) District of Columbia: 27,058
33) Oklahoma: 28,679
32) Kentucky: 40,207
31) Delaware: 42,479
30) Georgia: 45,985
29) Idaho: 49,434
28) Puerto Rico: 51,490
27) Nebraska: 53,230
26) Kansas: 54,107
25) Maryland: 71,166
24) Rhode Island: 75,749
23) Alabama: 91,544
22) Iowa: 96,436
21) South Carolina: 108,177
20) Colorado: 111,907
19) Massachusetts: 117,090

18) Minnesota: 136,873
17) Connecticut: 146,574
16) Arkansas: 171,771
15) Virginia: 187,883
14) Missouri: 202,112
13) Indiana: 265,400
12) Louisiana: 266,984
11) Michigan: 301,790
10) Wisconsin: 341,023
9) New Jersey: 349,357
8) North Carolina: 369,715
7) Tennessee: 381,342
6) New York: 494,007
5) Texas: 657,640
4) Pennsylvania: 688,697
3) Ohio: 745,061
2) Illinois: 1,043,294

Which State Has the Highest Number of Lead Service Lines?

1) Florida: 1,159,300

The Serious Health Effects Of Lead

Lead service lines are a major contributor to lead contamination in drinking water. Even small amounts of lead ingestion can lead to severe health consequences, especially for pregnant women and young children. Exposure to lead can cause irreparable harm to the kidneys, nervous system, reproductive system, and cardiovascular system, among others. Therefore, it is crucial to mitigate the risk of lead exposure in drinking water.

What can you do to protect yourself from lead contamination in your water?

The time to act is right now, all Clearly Filtered and Berkey water filters that we sell target lead by filtering out over 99% of it.

The reality is that lead pipes won’t be removed all at once, nor will the lead already present in our bodies disappear anytime soon. However, you don’t have to wait for a solution to protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of lead. Take action now and safeguard against lead exposure with the following products.

Shop the following water filters that remove over 99% of lead