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Lead pipe risk is dramatically overstated. It’s the new asbestos, lots of noise and bullshit and little reality.

What happened in Flint, MI was criminal negligence - literally. That system was operated safely for decades and started poisoning people because of political conditions in the state and incompetence/dereliction.

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I agree. It should be phased out, but there is no reason to do it until you have to work on those pipes and disturb them. They are safe while they are calcified and are sending water that is suitable for metal pipes in the first place. Flint was sending basically acid down their pipes because of intervening incompetent and corrupt state officials. It made stainless steel sinks start rusting for gods sake. Even if the system was pure iron pipe that shit would have opened up like swiss cheese into the dirt and ground. Im not even sure if plastic water pipe would have been totally immune to such shitty and prolonged pH levels.

Do you really trust the people running local governments to not mess things up? I certainly don't. I wouldn't trust them to look after my house plants.

The engineer in charge is usually competent and has the prospect of losing his PE at stake.

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