LINCOLN- Water utilities across Nebraska would be responsible for replacing tens of thousands of lead pipes over the next decade under a rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency last week. The update to the lead and copper pipe rule pushed by President Joe Biden aims to reduce lead in drinking water and curb public health crises that have stemmed from the aging infrastructure.

"Lead in drinking water is a generational public health issue, and EPA's proposal will accelerate progress toward President' Biden's goal of replacing lead pipe across America once and for all," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a news release. Across the country, that means nearly 9.2 million lead service lines would need to be replaced within 10 years after the rule is finalized at a potential cost of $625 billion.

In Nebraska, that means an estimated 53,230 lead pipes must be replaced, according to the seventh Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment published in April. The environmental nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council estimates the number of lead pipes remaining in the Cornhusker State is significantly larger, potentially reaching as many as 97,000.

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