Selecting lead pipe rehabilitation and replacement technologies

Lead has been used as plumbing and piping material for more than 2,000 year s because of its soft, malleable qualities and its resistance to serious ph ysical deterioration. Today, lead leaching from pipes that distribute drink ing water is recognized as having adverse health effects for humans. An est imated 3.3 million lead service lines are located throughout the United Sta tes (RFWI & EESI, 1990). Most lead service lines are concentrated in older sections of major industrial cities, and they occur in greater numbers in t he Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States. In the United Kingdo m, an estimated 7-10 million property owners receive water via lead service pipes, and the majority of properties also have internal lead plumbing (Ha yward, 1998). Other European countries report the existence of lead piping and plumbing that varies significantly among cities or regions. In Japan, a n estimated 12 million properties use lead as a water piping material.