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AMA announces new policy on lead in drinking water

The AMA during its annual meeting in Chicago adopted a new policy aimed at protecting the public from further exposure to lead in drinking water, and its associated adverse physical and mental health effects, according to a press release.

Citing the recent water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and the ensuing awareness regarding the dangers of lead contamination in tap water across the country, the AMA said it is now advocating for state and federal laws requiring timely reporting of all public water system testing results on a publically-accessible website. The new policy also calls for updates to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule, and for state and federal laws removing lead service lines and plumbing materials that come into contact with drinking water.

“We know that there is no safe level of lead consumption, yet 20% of the lead that is ingested comes from the drinking water that flows through lead plumbing in communities across the nation,” Andrew W. Gurman, MD, incoming AMA president, said in a press release. “Evidence clearly shows that lead plumbing is a major source of lead in our drinking water. The AMA believes now is the time for America to take swift action to replace all lead plumbing throughout the country. We pledge to advocate for the removal of lead plumbing as well as federal standards to ensure that our drinking water is actually lead-free.”

The new policy also supports legislation requiring all schools and registered day care sites to undergo routine municipal water quality assurance testing. According to the AMA, current laws do not apply to many school and daycare sites in the United States, and water testing is voluntary.

According to the EPA, 90,000 public schools and 500,000 child care facilities are not being regulated, and may or may not be testing the quality of their drinking water.

The AMA is also advocating for biologic testing for children with elevated blood lead levels, and health screenings and nutritional support for all those exposed to lead-contaminated water.

“Even though children and infants absorb more lead than the average adult, there are no real safeguards in place to ensure that the drinking water is safe at the facilities where most of their time is spent,” Gurman said in a press release. “We must do everything we can to change the law to make sure our young people are kept safe and healthy.”