“If there is magic on the planet, it is contained in water,” says Loren Eisley, an American Anthropologist. Water, necessary for life, has always been abundant. According to an article from 2015, titled “Prehistoric Art,” by Dr. Senta German at Khan Academy, until the “Neolithic era, a period known for its cultural and technological development came around in 10000 BC, water was originally untouched by man.” When humans became cultivators around 7000 BC, channeling water for personal use became necessary. The chosen way of distributing the water seemed clear. The best choice is through a newfound metal called lead. I believe lead shouldn’t be used in service lines or homes, especially those that deliver drinking water to our faucets. There are numerous reasons why the use of lead pipes in infrastructure and distribution of water should be banned, including outdated designs, increased health concerns in cities worldwide leading to court cases, and finally government action working to combat these concerns. Though this material was a good choice at the time, we now know that many health risks are posed, leading the government to make costly choices. 

Strong, yet malleable, and easy to bend and work with. Lead became the chosen material for water pipes long ago, dating back to ancient Rome. Ancient Romans were known for their vast empire and public works projects. Kelsey Kennedy, a science journalist at Atlas Obscura, comments in the 2017 article “Ancient Romans Were Using Lead Pipes Earlier Than We Thought,” that a team of European researchers “tested 177 core samples of silt deposits from Ancient Rome’s harbor city, Ostia dating back centuries. The researchers measured lead levels in the silt deposits and found that Romans began using lead pipes around 200 BC, and stopped nearly 450 years later in 250 AD.” At the time, Romans began manipulating this newfound metal to compose revolutionary waterways supplying sources miles away. As early as the late 1700s, lead pipes were first introduced to America. The first beginning of their use in public water systems started in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Lead piping was used in nearly every major U.S. city for household plumbing and water distribution from the 1900s until 1972 when Congress passed the Clean Water Act. Today, we continue to use lead for plumbing and water distribution. However, the newfound metal Ancient Romans chose long ago could potentially lead to health risks that led to the Roman Empire’s downfall. 

After using lead pipes in some regions, people started to notice increased blood pressure, abdominal pain, and the early signs of hearing loss. When fixtures such as plumbing and hardware containing lead corrode, lead can dissolve into the water flowing through our faucets. Lead can’t be seen, tasted, or smelled, so clear water can still contain it. According to an article titled “Causes and Effects of Lead in Water,” on September 1, 2023, written by Keith Mulvihill, media producer, and journalist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, NRDC, “even the ancient Romans knew that lead could contribute to making people sick.” Today through research, scientists agree that lead exposure at any level isn’t safe. While lead is toxic to everyone, Dr. Marcie Billings, pediatrician, and Dr. Laura Breeher, occupational medicine physician at Mayo Clinic state that infants and young children are more likely to be exposed to lead than older children and adults. This is because lead is absorbed more at a young age since young children are exposed to more hand-mouth behavior where lead dust could be easily swallowed after placing lead-contaminated hands or objects in their mouths. However, adults are also at risk, specifically from warning signs of high blood pressure, slowed development of the kidneys, and cardiovascular problems due to increased lead exposure. These instances were widespread throughout the United States and the world. One of the most notable cases of lead poisoning took place in Flint, Michigan. 

On April 25, 2014, Flint, Michigan began switching from water supplied by Detroit’s Lake Huron to the Flint River to save the city money. On the official website of NRDC, the article “Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know,” last updated on November 8, 2018, written and published by Melissa Denchak, outlines how switching the water source in Flint altered the quality of water when it states that “Inadequate treatment and testing of the water resulted in…issues that were chronically ignored and overlooked.” Government officials in Flint began disregarding complaints “That the foul-smelling, discolored, and off-tasting water…was causing skin rashes, hair loss, and itchy skin.” In NRDC’s article, studies showed that “The contaminated water was also contributing to a doubling-and in some cases tripling the incidence of elevated blood lead levels in the city’s children.” Before Flint made headlines for its lead-contaminated water, the city had experienced other water concerns for hundreds of years. Until February 2019, Flint continued facing contaminated water, leaving residents searching for alternative options for drinking water, eventually taking the case to court in the hope of achieving water justice. 

Flint’s example shed light on the lead crisis causing America’s government to reevaluate its water health. Changes began previously with the Clean Water Act in 1972. Last updated January 30, 2024, an article published by the U.S. Department of Justice titled “The Clean Water Act,” states that Congress passed the CWA as a result of three significant events with hopes of “restoring and maintaining chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” In 1990, Congress passed the Oil Pollution Act, the successor to the CWA of 1972. Most recently, the Biden Administration and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “announced a proposal that strengthens its Lead and Copper Rule, requiring water systems to replace lead plumbing and service lines in the next 10 years, helping secure safe drinking water for cities.” Through the EPA’s newly proposed law, water sampling and water system inventories would be requirements, helping to reduce the number of homes containing lead pipes in the U.S. to zero. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides “$15 billion in funding specifically dedicated for replacing lead service lines, along with an additional $11.7 billion in general-purpose funding through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.” As a newfound material, Romans believed lead was the best choice for distributing water; however, today lead has proven dangerous causing health concerns for those of all ages. 

Lead poisoning in water distribution and plumbing has been an issue since the ancient Roman Empire. The newfound material lead was strong but easy to bend and work with, making it a popular choice in Roman society. Though this material may have been the right choice at the time, through research and experimentation, we know that this material doesn’t belong in our homes, especially our drinking water systems. There are many reasons why lead pipes should be replaced in U.S. infrastructure. The quote from Loren Eisley demonstrates that while water can be “magical,” factors like lead pipes and service lines threaten public health and safety, with outdated infrastructure leaving residents risking exposure to lead. While lead pipes may be cheap and affordable, they have many bad side effects. Ancient Romans knew that lead could make someone sick so the next time a renovation comes up, choose PVC or copper and help save the community and our sacred water systems.