Millions of U.S. water systems still lack inventories of lead service lines
More than 1,300 public water utilities have not submitted required lists of lead pipes, leaving residents uncertain about water safety as a 2027 replacement deadline approaches.
A recent analysis of EPA enforcement data reveals that over 1,300 public water systems have not turned in the inventories of lead service lines that the agency demanded by October 2024, affecting about 3.8 million Americans. Small utilities dominate the non-compliant group, with 84 % serving fewer than 500 customers, many of which are housing developments or schools. Cities like Dunkirk, New York, lag nearly two years behind in cataloguing their pipes, while Chicago is excavating to verify materials for lines whose records are missing.
The EPA warns that without these inventories, utilities cannot plan for the 2027 deadline that requires replacing 10 % of lead lines annually, a task complicated by the high cost of $8,000-$15,000 per replacement. Funding from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law is dwindling, and officials stress that unknown pipe material will increase replacement obligations, stressing the urgency of completing inventories.
