The California Assembly has passed legislation banning the partial replacement of lead or galvanized service lines corroded with lead, according to a press release from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The legislation will still need to pass the state Senate before it can take effect.
“Lead pipeline replacement is a welcome and much-needed effort to get lead out of Californians’ drinking water,” said Susan Little, EWG’s senior advocate for California government affairs. “A.B. 1931 will ensure that water systems comply with health-protective requirements when removing or disturbing a lead pipeline. It will also ensure that the work is done with vital health safeguards.”
Assembly Bill 1931, by Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley), also requires water systems to notify customers about potential lead exposure when they replace lines. And the bill directs the state to use some of its allocation from last year’s federal infrastructure law to fully fund lead service line replacements on customers’ property. This year, the state will receive $249 million, and disbursements could increase over the next five years.
“California will be receiving an unprecedented amount of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Rivas. “We must capitalize on this historic opportunity by coupling those federal dollars with A.B. 1931, which will ban problematic partial replacements and require important health protections. Now is the time to act boldly.”
A.B. 1931 prohibits water utilities from replacing only part of a lead service line, which can include lead pipes or fittings under streets, and any lead-based pipe or galvanized line attached to a lead pipe connected to a home. Partial replacements don’t cut lead in drinking water and cause spikes in lead levels, so banning them is vital for public health.
The bill also includes important consumer protections, such as notifying residents prior to lead pipe replacements, providing filters that remove lead from tap water, and water tests for lead levels before and after a complete pipe replacement. It also requires community water systems to create an accurate inventory of all known lead service lines in use.
