For much of the early to mid-20th century, lead piping was a standard choice for water infrastructure in the United States, valued for its durability, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. However, as the devastating health impacts of lead exposure became increasingly clear regulations began to change. The 1986 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments marked a turning point, banning the installation of new lead pipes and pushing for “lead-free” plumbing materials.
Today, the EPA confirms that no level of lead exposure is safe, linking even minimal contact to serious health issues, including neurological damage and developmental delays.
Despite these regulations, millions of lead service lines remain in use across the United States, posing ongoing risks to public health. The scale of the problem is staggering. Illinois, for example, is home to over 1 million lead pipes, with nearly 400,000 in Chicago alone. Florida tops the list, with over 1.1 million lead service lines still in service. Cities like Baltimore and Newark have also struggled with widespread lead contamination, highlighting the urgency of the issue nationwide.
With the 2023 proposal of the EPA’s “Lead and Copper Rule Improvements,” urgency has reached a new peak. This regulation mandates the removal of all lead pipes within ten years and the significant lowering of the lead action level in water. The estimated cost of this nationwide overhaul is $20-30 billion, placing significant pressure on municipalities to comply or face hefty fines and the loss of federal funding.
Given the magnitude and complexity of this task—where replacements can cost between $5,000 and $10,000 per line and involve extensive logistical challenges—municipalities are in dire need of efficient, scalable solutions that can handle the scope of the work required.
Effective lead service line replacement requires more than just compliance with regulations; it demands innovations that can streamline operations, optimise resource allocation, and enhance overall water system efficiency.
Key challenges municipalities face include:
To tackle these challenges, utilities need a comprehensive platform that can integrate with existing systems, provide real-time visibility, and automate key processes. This is where FYLD comes in, offering the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of lead service line replacements and ensure successful outcomes.
FYLD partnered with Southern Water, a leading U.K. water utility provider, to tackle the pressing challenges of pollution control, operational inefficiencies, and compliance with environmental regulations. Through the deployment of FYLD’s AI-powered platform, Southern Water has achieved substantial improvements in environmental performance, cost reductions, and operational safety.
“In terms of lost time incidents over the period that we’ve been working with FYLD and across some of our other initiatives at Southern Water, we’ve reduced our lost time incidents by a massive 50 percent.” - Alex Saunders, Head of Waste Networks at Southern Water
To learn more about how FYLD helped Southern Water achieve these impressive results, watch our recorded webinar here.
As regulations tighten and the demand for efficient lead service line replacements grows, adopting advanced technologies like FYLD is essential. FYLD empowers utilities to safeguard public health, maintain compliance, and optimize resources, all while reducing costs and minimizing community disruption.
Tackle the challenge of lead service line replacements effectively. Get in touch with FYLD today to learn how we can help your utility deliver a safer, lead-free future for your community.