Amy McIntosh is managing editor of WQP. McIntosh can be reached at [email protected]
The media spotlight on the 2016 emergency declaration in Flint, Mich., put lead contamination at the forefront of the news and the minds of residents with running water everywhere. Newark, N.J.’s public announcement in October 2018 of a study that revealed a failure at a treatment plant that led to elevated lead levels at residences served by that plant is one of the most recent high-profile lead contamination cases in the U.S.
From May to July, WQP will be exploring the nation’s lead crisis in greater detail, highlighting notable cases around the country and addressing the origins of the contaminations. The series also will explore available treatment options and lead-free products for residential and commercial properties.
The following map is a visual representation of findings from the article, “National Survey of Lead Line Occurrence,” by David A. Cornwell, Richard A. Brown, and Steve H. Via in the April 2016 issue of Journal AWWA. The report is a summary of two American Water Works Assn.-sponsored surveys designed to estimate the number of lead service lines per state.
View the lead map here.
