Metro Atlanta’s largest water utilities, in response to a federal deadline, reported this fall that there were no lead pipes in their drinking water systems that they knew of.
But thousands of pipes on private property remain unchecked. And a new federal rule requires local governments and water utilities to be more proactive about checking those lines, which usually run from water meters to people’s homes.
The new rule, finalized in October, requires all lead water pipes in the country to be replaced within a decade. It also reduces the amount of lead allowed in drinking water and mandates testing at schools and day care centers…