vvEPA Fact Sheet 2021 LCRR Implementation Fact Sheet April 2024 The Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) is the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation first promulgated in 1991 that requires actions by public water systems to reduce levels of lead and copper in drinking water. On January 15, 2021, the EPA promulgated the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), and the deadline for water systems to comply with these revised requirements is October 16, 2024. On December 6, 2023, EPA published the proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) that, when final, will significantly reduce exposure to lead through drinking water. The LCRI proposal builds on the LCRR and the original LCR. The EPA plans to finalize the LCRI prior to the LCRR compliance date of October 16, 2024. The purpose of this fact sheet is to clarify for water systems and States the deadline for completion of required actions under the 2021 LCRR based on the proposed LCRI. For the LCRI, the EPA proposed a compliance date of three years after the promulgation of the final rule and for systems to continue to comply with the LCR until that date, with the following exceptions. Specifically, EPA proposed to retain the 2021 LCRR October 16, 2024 compliance date for the initial service line inventory, notification of service line material, Tier 1 public notification of a lead action level exceedance, and associated reporting requirements as listed in the table below. With these limited exceptions, EPA proposed that water systems would directly transition from the LCR (as codified in the July 2020 Code of Federal Regulations) to the LCRI for all other rule provisions. As discussed in the EPA's proposed rule for LCRI, transitioning from the LCR directly to the LCRI, as described above, would better enable systems and States to focus their resources on planning to comply with LCRI rather than short-term implementation of the LCRR. EPA anticipates this focus would result in the earlier identification of more lead service lines, and the earlier replacement of full service lines and that would more quickly reduce health risks associated with drinking water exposure to lead. The following table describes the 2021 LCRR requirements that public water systems must comply with starting on October 16, 2024 based on the LCRI proposal, and specifically, EPA's proposal that these requirements would not change. The second table provides the corresponding requirements for States. The EPA has proposed to revise compliance dates for other provisions of the 2021 LCRR as part of the LCRI. The EPA encourages public water systems to focus their resources on complying with the following provisions of the 2021 LCRR. 2021 LCRR Requirements-Systems Date 2023 Code of Federal Regulations Section Intial Inventory and Associated Reporting Initial inventory development (includes making inventory publicly accessible). October 16,2024 40 CFR 141.84(a)(1) through 141.84(a)(10) (excluding 141.84(a)(6) and (a)(7)) Page 1 of 3 815F24002 ------- Submission of initial inventory to the State1 October 16,2024 40 CFR 141.90(e)(1) Failure to submit initial inventory to the State by October 16, 2024 requires Tier 3 Public Notification (PN). Starting October 16, 2024 40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Qof Part 141 I.C.I (exclude Tier 3 notification for 141.90 except 141.90(e) (1), (e)(13), and (f)(4)) Notification of Service Line Material and Associated Reporting Notification of known or potential service line containing lead within 30 days of completion of the inventory (initial) and repeat notification on an annual basis until the entire service connection is no longer lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or unknown. For new customers, water systems shall also provide the notice at the time of service initiation. Within 30 days of completion of the inventory and then annually 40 CFR 141.85(e) Provide revised lead health effects language in public education materials to ensure consistent notification messaging with PN requirements (as referenced in 141.85(e)). Starting October 16, 2024 40 CFR 141.85(e)(3) requires health information meeting the requirements of 40 CFR 141.85(a)(l)(ii) Annual reporting to the State by July 1 that the system provided notification and delivered lead service line information materials to affected consumers with lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or unknown service lines for the previous calendar year. Water systems shall provide a copy of the notification and information materials to the State. July 1, 2025 and then annually 40 CFR 141.90(e)(13), 40 CFR 141.90(f)(4) Failure to certify to the State that the system notified persons served at service connections of a known or potential service line containing lead requires Tier 3 PN. Starting October 16, 2024 40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Q of Part 141 I.C.I (exclude Tier 3 for 141.90 except 141.90(e)(1), (e)(13), and (f)(4)) Public Notification and Associated Reporting Exceedance of the lead action level as specified in § 141.80(c) requires Tier 1 PN provided to persons served by the water system no later than 24 hours after the system learns of the exceedance. Starting October 16, 2024 40 CFR 141.201(a)(3)(vi) (In Table 1 to §141.201), 40 CFR 141.202(a)(10) (In Table 1 to §141.202), 40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Q of Part 141 C.2 A copy of the Tier 1 PN for lead action level exceedance must be sent to the primacy agency and the EPA Administrator no later than 24 hours after the system learns of the exceedance. Starting October 16, 2024 40 CFR 141.201(c)(3), 40 CFR 141.31(d)(2) Provide revised lead health effects language as required in Tier 1 PN for lead action level exceedance and Tier 2 and 3 PN for violations. Starting October 16, 2024 40 CFR Appendix B (D.23) to Subpart Q of Part 141 Page 2 of 3 815F24002 ------- 2021 LCRR Requirements-States Date Code of Federal Regulations Section Initial Inventory and Associated Reporting States reporting to EPA - For each public water system, the number of lead, galvanized requiring replacement, and lead status unknown service lines in its distribution system, reported separately. States receive information in Q4 2024 and report this information by the end of Q1 2025 (3/31/25)for the initial inventory. 40 CFR 142.15(c)(4)(iii)(D) Quarterly reports to the Administrator include any system violations for failure to submit initial inventory to the State. States receive information in Q4 2024 report this information by the end of Q1 2025 (3/31/25)for the initial inventory. 40 CFR 142.15(a)(1) Notification of Service Line Material and Associated Reporting Quarterly reports to the Administrator include any system violations for failure to certify notifications. States receive information in Q4 2024 report this information by the end of Q1 2025 (3/31/25). 40 CFR 142.15(a)(1) Public Notification and Associated Reporting Quarterly reports to the Administrator include any system violations for failure to conduct Tier 1 PN. States receive information in Q4 2024 report this information by the end of Q1 2025 (3/31/25). 40 CFR 142.15(a)(1) Reporting of 90th percentile lead concentrations where the State calculates a water system's 90th percentile concentrations: The State provides the results of the 90th percentile lead calculations, in writing, to the water system within 15 days of the end of the tap sampling period. Within 15 days of the end of tap sampling periods. 40 CFR 141.90(h)(3) ' As part of this fact sheet, "State" refers to the agency of the state, Tribal, or territorial government that has jurisdiction over public water systems consistent with the definition of "State" in 40 CFR 141.2. During any period when a state or Tribal government does not have primary enforcement responsibility pursuant to section 1413 of SDWA, the term "State" means the relevant Regional Administrator of the EPA. 815F24002 Page 3 of 3 ------- |