The Associated Press reports that many American cities have been excavating water mains, revealing lead pipes and leaving them in the ground. Such disturbances of the pipes can cause lead levels to spike.
The Environmental Protection Agency says there is no safe level of lead in water, and the heavy metal can lower IQ and deprive kids of problem-solving skills. Detroit routinely replaces lead pipes the city encounters in water main repair work despite its recent bankruptcy, while Chicago does not.
Sam Smalley, chief operating officer of Detroit’s water provider, said Detroit is protecting the intellectual capacity of the next generation of city residents, and if a utility doesn’t fully replace lead pipes, it’s usually because they “don’t really want to do it.”
