Lead water pipes have caused a health disaster in Flint, but replacing them with cheaper plastic – as some cities are doing – carries hidden costs

In 2015, Flint, Michigan made headlines tests showed dangerously high levels of lead in your drinking water. A 12 months earlier, town had switched water mains to the Flint River, and the corrosive water damaged aging lead pipes, exposing 1000’s of individuals to guide contamination.

The result was a health crisis, the consequences of which are still felt by residents to today. And Flint was just the tip of the iceberg.

The EPA estimates that 9.2 million drinking water lines to U.S. homes and businesses are fabricated from lead. The federal government considers replacing these lead pipes a top priority and has launched various initiatives help, including the Infrastructure Law 2021, which allocated $15 billion inside five years to interchange the guide pipes.

The EPA is here proposing a removal request lead pipes throughout the United States inside 10 years. However, the agency is silent on what should replace lead.

we are learning water policy AND water chemistryWith emphasis on plastics and emerging contaminants, and beyond equal access to wash water. We see concerns about a popular substitute material for lead pipes: plastic.

The buried legacy of lead pipes is concentrated in cities with large low-income populations. Seven out of 10 The US states with probably the most leading service lines are the Great Lakes states and our research shows the brand new federal funding will cover lower than one-fifth of the fee of replacing known lead pipes in this region alone. These cities may unknowingly create recent health and environmental risks.

Problem with lead pipes

Is no level of lead exposure is taken into account protected for people.

In children, lead exposure can affect their organs and brain development, causing decreased intelligence, behavioral disorders and learning problems. Adults are also vulnerable. Even low lead exposure can cause kidney problems and hypertension. AND recent research it was estimated that 170 million American adults were exposed to high levels of lead in early childhood.

Congress in 1986 amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to ban using lead pipes when installing or repairing any public water system, home or drinking water business.

However, many communities already had lead pipes that were expected to last many years longer and are expensive to interchange. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that replacing each essential service line from a municipal water supply to a home costs a median of $5,066.

Copper, iron and plastic are common substitute materials for lead pipes. Plastic, especially polyvinyl chloride or PVC, is an increasingly popular alternative. Plastic normally has an initial price lower than the others.

However, although most pipe materials create problems over the long run, there are potential hidden costs of using plastic pipe in drinking water systems that increase serious questions AND health concerns.

The hidden health costs of plastic

One sort of plastic was PVC first time used in American water systems in 1955 and have become widespread in the Seventies. Other forms of plastic pipe include cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC).

Scientific research has shown that plastic pipes can they attract metals and leach chemicals AND micro- and nanoplasticsthat are known worsen kidney disease.

Over the last decade, researchers have documented the plastic degradation and the discharge of chemicals from plastic polymers and accessories in plastics and microplastics. 2023 study found that the fabric and age of pipes can contribute to the discharge of microplastics into drinking water.

Biofilm – a layer of microorganisms that forms on surfaces that come into contact with water – may cause problems in pipes. AND 2023 study showed how this biofilm can accumulate heavy metals such as lead, which might be slowly released into the water over time. This buildup is a problem with any pipe. However, some studies have shown that organic substances could also be released from polymer-based pipes promote the expansion of biofilmsand plastics can promote ability With pathogens accumulate in pipes. Further research is required to evaluate whether biofilm is a more major problem in plastic pipes.

Durability concerns

Although PVC and other plastic pipe materials have a long service life, they do have it durability problems.

A study was conducted deformations, leaks and root ingrowth have been found in Dutch sewage systems, where plastic pipes have been widely used since not less than the Seventies. Some cities that have installed plastic drinking water pipes in the U.S. have encountered similar problems.

Prescott, Arizona began using PVC pipe in the mid-Eighties, and sturdiness issues began to emerge in the Nineteen Nineties. In 2023, citing durability and leakage issues, Mayor Prescott made the announcement switching from PVC plastic to ductile iron.

Hamilton, Ohio began seeing premature failures HDPE pipelines and waterworks after only 20 years, despite the estimated service lifetime of HDPE at 80 years. The city is currently switching to iron and copper.

Fire can melt plastic, releasing toxic chemicals

Plastic can also be prone to fires. Studies have shown that plastic pipes heated to high temperatures can melt and release harmful chemicals.

The 2023 fire that swept through Lahaina, Hawaii, damaged plastic water pipes, contributing to a drop in water pressure during Maui firefighters needed it most. Following this, residents were warned that plastic pipes could occur contaminate the water supply by flushing out hazardous chemicals. Loss of pressure can create a form of vacuum which pulls chemicals and bacteria into water systems.

Heating during fires it might probably also cause harmful chemicals to be released from plastics. Water testing in California communities affected by the 2017 and 2018 wildfires found that water systems were contaminated Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, a carcinogen.

Protecting the general public

With billions of dollars in federal funding at their disposal, communities are now deciding whether to speculate in plastic pipes or other lead substitute materials. This is a historic undertaking.

However, we imagine that more research must be done on the potential impacts of plastics to raised understand each the short- and long-term risks to human health and the environment. All aspects have to be considered: health, durability, longevity and fire concerns. The initial price isn’t all the time an indicator of hidden costs.