Leader GiaQuinta secures study to protect drinking water
Indiana House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) has secured approval for a legislative study of potential ways to finance the replacement of water systems contaminated by lead.
Earlier this week, Indiana House and Senate leaders agreed to GiaQuinta’s request to have the Interim Study Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications look at funding options for lead water service line replacement when the group meets this summer.
“Millions of homes across this country still get their water from lead service lines, which are pipes that connect the main drinking water line in the street to homes,” GiaQuinta said. “Environmental experts have found that these pipes carry the risk of releasing lead into drinking water.”
Lead contamination in water systems gained national prominence with the problems that resulted in Flint, Michigan, in 2014.
“Much of the contamination that took place was a direct result of lead found in the connections between main water lines and the homes of Flint residents,” GiaQuinta said. “This crisis demonstrated the risks that have been building up over the years. Due to age, many lines have substantially deteriorated, and lead leaching into the water system is the result. What has happened in Flint can certainly be duplicated elsewhere. It behooves us to determine the scope of any problems that might be taking place in Indiana so that we are prepared to take action.”
In Indiana, most of the attention on lead testing has focused on schools across the state. In 2017, the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) conducted a one-time voluntary program to test water in public schools for lead. Earlier this year, seven schools in Hammond were found to have elevated levels of lead in water supplies.
“In recent years, the Legislature has been reluctant to take any greater action on lead testing, even though there have been several attempts to initiate such programming,” said GiaQuinta, who noted that a measure filed in the 2019 session by State Rep. Carolyn B. Jackson (D-Hammond) that would have required testing at schools and child care facilities in Indiana failed to get a hearing.
“But the awareness that something needs to be done is growing, because people realize that there are definite health risks involved here,” he continued. “Safe drinking water isn’t something that should be casually ignored. We need to see if there is a problem, then act to correct it.”