The discovery of high levels of lead in the water supply in Flint, Mich., is indicative of a larger problem—namely, America’s aging and deteriorating infrastructure. In a Feb. 1, 2016, article for Environmental Leader, Jessica Lyons Hardcastle cites the American Water Works Association, which estimates replacing U.S. water pipes alone would cost at least $1 trillion, not including the cost of removing lead service lines on private property, over the next 25 years.
In the article, Hardcastle discusses ways to prevent another Flint water crisis:
- Involve professionals in decision making. “One important lesson to be learned from this is that important financial decisions cannot be made in a vacuum,” HPAC Engineering author Lawrence (Larry) Clark, QCxP, GGP, LEED AP+, who wrote about the Flint water crisis and legionellosis in a Jan. 25, 2016, blog post, is quoted as saying. “If all of the technical factors had been considered prior to the switch in water supplies being made, the outcome could have been very different.”
- More stringent protocols for lead testing.
- Increased awareness of the dangers of lead exposure.
To read the article, go to http://www.environmentalleader.com/2016/02/01/how-to-prevent-another-flint-water-crisis/#ixzz3zFpk8BhK.