ACC Applauds EPA Final Rule on Lead Pipe Replacement

WASHINGTON (October 9, 2024) - Yesterday the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule on lead pipes. The following statement may be attributed to Ross Eisenberg, president of America's Plastic Makers^®, a division of the American Chemistry Council:

"America's Plastic Makers applaud the Biden Administration for its ambitious rule that requires our nation's drinking water systems to replace lead service lines within 10 years. We are proud to be part of the solution to delivering clean, safe drinking water and improving related public health outcomes.

"As aging pipes are replaced, we encourage the Administration and communities across our nation to consider using advanced materials such as durable plastic pipes. When spending billions of dollars upgrading our nation's ability to deliver water, we should invest in the most effective solutions to build resilient communities and a more durable national infrastructure.

"Along with the rest of America's critical manufacturing capacity, plastic makers play a key role in rebuilding our nation's ability to move people, energy, goods and water while simultaneously driving down greenhouse gas emissions. Our nation's aging infrastructure requires a serious upgrade to meet today's needs and our environmental commitments to future generations."

Background

Plastic pipes offer multiple benefits compared with legacy materials. Plastic pipes often can retrofit crumbling and rusting pipes without having to dig massive trenches. They can also save energy used to pump water by significantly reducing the drag of moving water through old fashioned pipes that corrode, and they typically are more economical to install and maintain.

Due to their inherent flexibility and impact resistance, plastic pipes are well suited to areas prone to earthquakes or floods, which makes these communities more resilient. Plastic pipe systems are designed to resist rust and corrosion and provide many years of reliable service (some in excess of 100 years), requiring less frequent replacement.

Millions of miles of plastic pipe are already in service throughout North America, relied upon by thousands of water utilities. Simply put, plastic pipes are more economical, more durable, require less energy use, and provide better performance, which improves the resiliency of our communities.

Open Competition Delivers Clean Water

In addition, as the federal government spends infrastructure dollars on replacing aging pipes, the Administration should incorporate common-sense open competition when using federal dollars. Open competition procurement policies allow for the selection of the best materials rather than relying on outdated restrictions mandating legacy pipe materials.

Open competition allows local officials and project managers to choose materials based on cost and performance. It increases competitive bidding which saves community and federal dollars. And transitioning to open competition could save tens of billions of dollars in water supply and storm water systems over a ten-year period.

ACC looks forward to continuing to work with localities, states and the federal government to expand open competition and improve the resilience of our nation's water infrastructure.

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