EPA is delaying the January 16, 2024 compliance date established in the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) to October 16, 2024, according to a notice published in the Federal Register.
This final rule is effective December 16, 2021.
According to the notice, the delay “will allow sufficient time for EPA to complete its review of the rule in accordance with those directives and conduct important consultations with affected parties.”
According to the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), extending the compliance deadline means that states have the full three years provided by the Safe Drinking Water Act to adopt laws and regulations, and that water systems will have enough time to meet compliance deadlines.
The notice adds that when conducting its review, EPA will consider input from stakeholders, focus on disadvantaged communities, states that administer national primary drinking water regulations, consumer and environmental organizations, water systems, and more.
The LCRR contains a few key points, including threshold levels, increased sampling, public notification timing, testing in schools and childcare facilities and lead service line replacement programs.
The EPA also announced ten communities that have been selected for virtual roundtable discussions on LCRR, touching on the experience of communities most affected by lead in drinking water.
Read the full notice here.
