History

Lead, with the elemental Pb and atomic number 82, has historically been seen by ancients as the father of all metals. It’s the metal with a wide variety of uses and was fairly accessible. Lead was found in everything from industrial manufacturing, everyday housewares, coins, makeup and even edible condiments and seasonings. Most notoriously, lead was an inexpensive component in vast network plumbing systems that provided water, dating back to the Romans. In fact, the word lead comes from the Latin root, plumbum. Although, even the Romans were aware of the serious health problems caused by lead, now, widely referred to as ‘lead poisoning’, the extent of their knowledge on these issues were far above them, and have since been wreaking havoc on the people of today.

Fast forward to the industrial revolution era, Milwaukee homes built before 1951 all used lead pipes for their water needs. When that water sits in the pipes, it can dissolve the lead remains and it ends up in the homes of thousands of citizens. Even with water treatment requirements within cities, this does not stop the contamination. It was not until 1986 that the city of Milwaukee prohibited the use of lead in water pipes due to the health risks involved with unknowingly, or knowingly, ingesting lead. In 1986, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act, which banned the use of lead pipes in public water systems. But due to financial resources, lack of federal or state government support, Milwaukee was slow to start the renovation process of replacing lead pipes.

Statistics

According to the CDC, the current actionable level for lead poisoning is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter.

Testing at 20 micrograms per deciliter equates to considerable damage to the human body.

From a test of 20,000 children under the age of 6, 10.1% had elevated blood lead levels.

There is NO safe level of lead in the body.

Milwaukee still has to replace some 66,000 active residential lead service lines.

Laws

Although most communities, such as Madison and Green Bay, have moved away from lead service lines by the 1920s, Milwaukee stuck with lead longer amid lead industry lobbying. This meant lead usage was mandated up until 1948, until it was officially banned in 1962.

Orthophosphate, a common food additive that can prevent corrosion of lead pipes, has steadily been added into Milwaukee’s water since 1996 by Milwaukee Water Works.

In 2018, Milwaukee Health Department Commissioner Bevan Baker resigned due to failing to ensure families with 8,000 children with elevated lead levels in their blood were notified. A criminal investigation on the matter was held, but no charges were filed.

Beginning in 2017, Mayor Cavalier Johnson led the efforts to replace them with copper ones, at a rate of 1,000 per year. At the time, about 70,000 homes housed lead water pipes, meaning it would take about 70 years to replace all of the lead water lines in Milwaukee alone.