Skip to content

Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021

Are lead pipes still being used to transport drinking water in the US?


yes

Although new lead pipes for drinking water supplies have been banned at the federal level since 1986, leftover lead pipes from older water infrastructure remain in use. Contamination occurs when improperly treated water corrodes the pipes, causing lead to leach into the water. This happened in Flint, Michigan, when the city switched its water source to the Flint River, causing the amount of children with dangerously high blood-lead levels to double, compared to no change in cities outside of Flint. Side effects of lead exposure include decreased fertility, low birth weight, and learning impairments. Other major cities have had lead contamination crises in the 21st century, including Washington, D.C., and Newark, N.J. Removing all lead pipes from the U.S. water supply would require an investment of about $45 billion.

See a full discussion of this at EconoFact

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.

See all fact briefs

EconoFact is a non-partisan publication designed to bring key facts and incisive analysis to the national debate on economic and social policies. Launched in January 2017, it is written by leading academic economists from across the country who belong to the EconoFact Network. It is published by the Edward R. Murrow Center for a Digital World at The Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Learn More

Be a Friend of facts

Help us fund more great fact briefs like this one.