Case Studies - Reading, PA

Case Study: Building a Local Lead Coalition - Reading,
Pennsylvania

The Reading Area Water Authority and local NAACP representatives attended the
Mid-Atlantic Lead Forum in October 2019. While lead service lines were not a local
problem, lead issues existed and being a small city, with few resources, and non-
English speaking population presented challenges. Building local capacity and
getting support were Reading's next steps.

Planning a Lead Forum

The Reading Area Water Authority was inspired by the Mid-Atlantic Lead Forum,
and wanted to similarly host a local lead forum for the Reading, Pennsylvania area.
The Reading Lead Forum, like the Mid-Atlantic Lead Forum, would bring together
representatives from multiple agencies and organizations throughout the community,
state, and region, to spread awareness of local lead issues and build coalitions for
moving forward.

They already had many contacts and speakers, including state government
representatives, and many local agencies and community organizations, who
represented many stakeholders and were also knowledgeable about the history of
lead in the area.

EPA Region 3 supported this effort and initiative driven by Reading Area Water
Authority. To assist Reading Area Water Authority and NAACP in the planning, EPA
representatives invited federal partners including ATSDR, State Agencies including
the Department of Labor and Industry, and neighboring City officials City of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania. EPA Region 3 representatives also attended the Reading
Lead Forum.

Holding a Lead Forum

The Reading Lead Forum was held in February 2020, at the Reading Area Water
Authority building. Wth over 40 in attendance, the room was filled with familiar and
new faces. The agenda featured a legislative briefing, an overview of lead in water,
a community perspective, presentation of Lancaster's lead program, and time for
discussion and questions among the attendees.

A key benefit from holding this forum was allowing various stakeholders to come
together to discuss the history, present concerns, challenges, and next steps for the
Reading area.

-------
The Reading Lead Forum was an initial step towards the goals of building a
sustainable lead program in Reading and creating a lead coalition to advance these
efforts. EPA continues to partner with the Reading Area Water Authority and NAACP
representatives and continue to support their efforts and engagement with the City
of Reading as well.

The City of Reading continues to take the lead in advancing the lead program in
Reading. The City of Reading developed a Local Lead Action Plan that continues to
guide and coordinate the priority actions of the City, which are currently focused on
lead testing, pursuing grant funding, training, and conducting lead outreach. Holding
bi-weekly virtual meetings with stakeholders also allowed partners to be aware of
progress and next steps, contribute ideas and updates, and work through challenges
together.

-------