The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it will issue guidance on how to comply with a Lead and Copper Rule finalized by the Trump administration in 2020. But it will also propose, in coming months, a new rule to speed up lead service line replacements, which critics contend take too long.
The Lead and Copper Rule revision, which went into effect on December 16, remains controversial among both water utilities and environmental and public health advocates. A proposed new rule, to be called the Lead and Copper Improvements Rule, likely would not become final until about 2024.