为了减少其他城市可以像密歇根州弗林特（Flint）那样面对铅污染的饮用水的机会，州长里克·斯奈德（Rick Snyder）（R）提出了针对饮用水中铅和铜的标准，比联邦规则更具保护性。

The March 16 proposal, part of which the state Legislature must approve, comes ahead of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) revision, expected later this year.

Michigan’s rules—在马克·爱德华兹（Marc Edwards）的帮助下开发，弗吉尼亚理工大学的民用和环境工程教授，将较低的铅行动水平从EPA的15亿纳入十亿分降至10 ppb。该标准还需要更严格的抽样方法，测试结果的年度测试和披露。爱德华兹（Edwards）说：“今天宣布的改革应作为指南，因为其他州正在考虑更好地保护公共卫生的方法。”爱德华兹（Edwards）说，他一直在推动EPA收紧LCR。

First adopted in 1991, the LCR is the only regulation of its kind to require testing of water within a home. Such testing is generally required twice a year at a sampling of homes. Homeowners are given bottles and instructed to take several samples. Then, the samples are sent to a laboratory for testing.

While the rule requires that a water utility act if more than 10% of homes are found to have lead at concentrations greater that 15 ppb, that rule is not a safety standard, says Lynn Thorp, campaigns director for activist group Clean Water Action. Even the smallest level of lead in drinking water is unsafe, especially for fetuses, infants and young children. The action standard is the point at which a utility should take steps to reduce the level of lead.

在2016年10月关于LCR问题的白皮书中，EPA承认该标准不足以保护消费者 - 仅仅是因为15-PPB阈值，而且还因为规则本身是如此复杂，并且测试是如此复杂，以至于它给公用事业提供了太多的余地。“该规则的当前结构仅在发现潜在问题后，迫使对水系统的其他保护作用，这可能会使公用事业公司在饮用水系统中识别潜在的铅和铜问题，这可能会造成抑制作用。”该机构在文件中说。

2016年2月，弗林特危机已知之后，EPA澄清了测试程序。除其他事项外，该机构要求水电图在测试前通过水龙头消除水冲水的实践，这可以防止准确检测到真实铅的水平。

爱德华兹说，使用这种方法和樱桃挑选房屋不太可能存在铅问题进行测试。他说：“弗林特并非唯一。”“整个美国都发生了这种事情。其他城市正在欺骗铅和铜规则。”EPA去年发布澄清后，许多城市和州通知该机构他们是或将更加努力进行测试。

Still, without a revised regulation, last February’s clarification isn’t enforceable, Thorp says. “We thought that was a very good move,” she says of the clarification, adding, “You need that kind of thing in a regulation.”

Enesta Jones, an EPA spokeswoman, says the agency is still on track to propose revisions to the LCR this year. If all goes smoothly, new rules could be in place by 2021. Further, the agency is considering requiring utilities to replace lead service lines, a proposal that is endorsed by the American Water Works Association, Clean Water Action and the National Drinking Water Advisory Council. Without replacing those lines, the utilities can only manage risk, Thorp says.

直到1986年，铅用于较小的水管，估计有610万个铅服务线仍在美国最多1000万所房屋中。包括AWWA和清洁水上的几个小组正在通过Lead Service Line替换协作（lslr-collaborative.org）共同努力，以帮助公用事业自愿找到替换其服务线的方法。EPA称，以从160亿美元到800亿美元的成本来替换受影响的美国线路可能需要数十年。

The agency may require that, as a precursor, utilities map and make available to the public the location of existing lead water lines. It also is considering setting a health-based action level for lead according to the amount of lead in the water that could raise blood-lead levels in infants.

但是索普（Thorp）和爱德华兹（Edwards）表示，消费者和水电工具不应仅仅专注于铅，同时忽略饮用水中存在的其他有害因素。爱德华兹（Edwards）说：“我不希望社会在这个问题上花费的稀缺资源更多。”由于这个原因，他实际上反对进一步收紧密歇根州的铅和铜制规则。

索普说：“我们不想专注于潜在客户，以至于我们忘记了其他问题。”