Clean, safe, affordable water is a fundamental building block for life and also impacts the environment and the economic welfare of our communities. Ensuring access to a safe water supply is a vital component of both the prosperity and the health of the nation’s citizens. Along with an adequate water supply is the need to address America’s water infrastructure challenge and the health risks it presents.
Pipe History In the U.S.
The history of pipes in the U.S. can be traced back to the 1800s and the need to safely remove sewage and waste while providing a constant freshwater supply. The first system of pipes to transport wastewater and drinking water was developed in 1804 in Philadelphia. The city was the first in the nation to use cast iron pipes for its water and sewage systems. However, running water in the home was not available for most of the country until the mid-1800s.
Along with cast iron, lead and lead pipes were standard components of typical plumbing systems. Lead’s stability and malleability made it an ideal material for pipe construction, with one major issue. Lead is poisonous.
Lead pipes were less expensive and more durable than cast iron and could easily be bent, enabling them to be installed in existing structures quickly. By the 1900s, nearly 70% of major cities in the country were using lead products to supply fresh water. The lead became standard throughout the water distribution system even though lead pipes used for transporting water had been identified as a primary source of lead poisoning by the late 1800s.
The earliest issues with lead were first observed in major cities such as New York and Boston, where lead pipes were used for indoor plumbing and to carry water from the street into the building. By 1859, the health risks associated with lead pipes were widely known, yet no efforts to ban or limit their use were made until the 1920s.
Research found that children with even low levels of lead in the bloodstream often developed behavior issues, learning problems, lowered IQ, hyperactivity, and impaired growth. In addition, low levels in pregnant women were associated with premature births and reduced fetus growth. Lead can also affect healthy adults, causing high blood pressure, hypertension, decreased kidney function, and reproductive issues in both men and women. Research has found that severe lead poisoning could also cause seizures, coma, and death in some cases.
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Pipes Are Aging and Underfunded
Much of America’s water infrastructure dates back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. Not only does this system pose health risks, but also environmental risks. It is estimated that a water main break in the U.S. occurs every two minutes. These breaks account for the loss of nearly 6 billion gallons of treated water every day, enough to fill over 9,000 swimming pools.
While the risks of lead pipes are widely known, replacing aging infrastructure is an expensive and complicated task. The replacement of lead pipes has become one of the nation’s top priorities, with the Biden administration committed to replacing 100% of the country’s lead service lines.
A Coordinated Solution
Over 50,000 water systems provide 39 billion gallons of potable water daily to U.S. homes and businesses. Additionally, nearly three-fourths of the population depends on about 15,000 wastewater utilities to collect and treat wastewater before releasing it into the environment.
The number of separate water and wastewater treatment systems in the country makes it challenging to address the issues plaguing our water infrastructure. Solving America’s water infrastructure challenge requires collaboration and increased funding from local, state, and federal governments as well as the private sector.
