A novel new lawsuit wants to put companies that made and sold lead pipes on the hook for the massive costs cities face to replace drinking water infrastructure.
The city of Columbus, Ohio, is suing seven companies for allegedly lying to government officials and the public about the safety of lead pipes, which are prone to leaching the toxic heavy metal into people’s tap water. It’s similar to the legal strategy used by dozens of cities and some states against fossil fuel companies, charging that lead companies and the defunct Lead Industries Association waged a decadeslong campaign of deception to boost profits.
A sweeping Biden-era policy that aims to end the scourge of lead in drinking water could also cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
Health advocates hope the lawsuit could offer a national model for cash-strapped cities replacing lead pipes to comply with EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. An unusually untouched Biden-era environmental policy, the rule requires water utilities to replace all lead pipes by 2037.
