This browser does not support the Video element.
Safe drinking water plan outlined by Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is currently creating the framework of a plan to help preserve safe drinking water for Minnesotans. FOX 9’s Babs Santos has more details.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesotans concerned about contamination of drinking water coming out of their faucet can check the presence of lead pipes in their region using interactive maps provided by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).
What we know
Currently, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul have interactive lead pipe maps available to Minnesotans to check on their presence and usage.
Statewide, MDH also offers a map that shows childhood lead exposure by area.
The EPA estimates that a stricter lead exposure standard could prevent up to 900,000 infants from having low birth weight, and avoid up to 1,500 premature deaths a year from heart disease.
Minnesota’s water plan
The MDH has released a draft of its Minnesota Drinking Water Action Plan, considered a "10-year map to ensure that everyone, everywhere in Minnesota has equitable access to safe and sufficient drinking water," according to officials.
The plan was developed following a prompt from the Minnesota Legislature and the Clean Water Council to ensure water safety for generations to come, and focuses on five areas: Protecting sources of drinking water, building ‘resilient’ drinking water infrastructure, ensuring safe tap water, assessing future risks and engaging partners.
MDH will solicit feedback on the plan through Oct. 17.
Nationwide replacement
Earlier this week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, President Joe Biden proposed a 10-year deadline for cities nationwide to replace lead pipes.
The initiative would not begin for three years, but will have a goal to remove all lead pipes within 10 years, down from an initial 60-year time limit in an effort to prioritize safe drinking water.
The new regulation would be stricter than one proposed in 2023, and require water systems to ensure that lead concentrations do not exceed an "action level" of 10 parts per billion – a decrease from 15 parts per billion under the current standard.