FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Zoe Ades, Communications Director
zades@dccouncil.gov
COUNCILMEMBER PINTO INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO REPLACE LEAD PIPES
Today, Councilmember Pinto introduced legislation to lay out a comprehensive plan to remove and replace all lead water service pipes in the District by 2030, at no cost to homeowners. The Lead-Free DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2023 establishes a removal plan that prioritizes residents and families most at risk from lead pipes. The legislation also creates a program to provide cost-free lead filters to families to protect from lead exposure as we work to identify, remove, and replace these pipes. Councilmembers Brianne Nadeau, Robert White, Matthew Frumin, Christina Henderson, Vincent Gray, Charles Allen, and Janeese Lewis George co-introduced the bill.
Removing and replacing these lead pipes is a critical public health issue, and we must take immediate action to ensure we minimize the risk of lead exposure for our residents. The Lead-Free DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2023 does this by:
- Requiring that all lead services lines in the District (public and private) be replaced by December 31, 2030;
- Requiring that, by October 1, 2024, DC Water establish a Lead Service Line Replacement Program to provide for the replacement of all portions of a lead service line serving private property at no cost to the property owner;
- Establishing a data-informed process in which DC Water is to prioritize properties and census blocks for lead service line replacements, prioritizing residents and families most at risk from lead pipes;
- Providing water filters at no cost to all properties serviced by lead service lines;
- Requiring DC Water maintain an inventory of service lines serving District properties;
- Encouraging compliance with requirements of the law through robust public education campaigns, authorizing financial and licensing penalties, but only starting years after the program’s launch and after extensive, direct outreach to non-participating property owners and tenants, and authorizing OAG to seek injunctive relief and, where necessary, civil penalties.
- Establishing extensive data reporting requirements