每一位将自来水与婴儿配方奶粉混合的父母，都信任这水是安全的。然而，对太多家庭而言，这种信任建立在材质不明、状况不清的管道之上。
Every parent who mixes tap water with baby formula trusts that it is safe. For too many families, that trust depends on pipes made of unknown materials and in uncertain condition.
值此全国防治铅中毒周之际，新数据提醒我们：饮用水中的铅仍是一个严重的公共卫生威胁——特别是对约217万饮用水系统铅含量超标的人群而言。受影响的系统遍布全国，从伊利诺伊州、宾夕法尼亚州到得克萨斯州和俄勒冈州。
As the country commemorates National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, new data serves as a reminder that lead in drinking water remains a serious public health threat — particularly for the approximately 2.17 million people who have elevated lead levels in their drinking water systems. The affected systems span the country, from Illinois and Pennsylvania to Texas and Oregon.
铅制供水管（连接总管与住宅及其他建筑的管道）是主要污染源之一。对儿童而言，铅暴露会损害大脑发育、学习能力和行为，后果可持续一生。对成年人而言，铅暴露会增加高血压、肾脏损伤和生殖健康问题的风险。不存在已知的安全铅暴露水平。
Lead service lines, which connect water mains to homes and other buildings, are a major source of contamination. For children, lead exposure can harm brain development, learning and behavior, with consequences that can last a lifetime. In adults, lead exposure can increase the risk of high blood pressure, kidney damage and reproductive health problems. There is no known safe level of lead exposure.
解决之道显而易见：更换管道。全国各地的社区正在取得实质性进展，但需要持续投入，以确保每个社区都有资源完成这项工作。
The solution is clear: Replace the pipes. Communities across the country are making meaningful progress, but sustained investment is needed to ensure every community has the resources to finish the job.
特朗普政府已将其减少铅暴露的努力，作为环境保护局“保护儿童健康100项行动”的一部分予以强调。这些举措包括：为100多个致力于更换铅制供水管的社区提供实地协助，并发布指导文件帮助供水系统应对更换要求。联邦资金也助力社区取得了实质性进展。
The Trump administration has highlighted its efforts to reduce lead exposure as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 100 actions to protect children’s health. These include providing hands-on assistance to more than 100 communities working to remove lead service lines and issuing guidance to help water systems navigate replacement requirements. Federal funding has also helped communities make meaningful progress.
《基础设施投资和就业法案》专门拨款 150 亿美元，用于在五年内更换铅制供水管，但据估算，更换全国铅制供水管的总成本为 500 亿至 800 亿美元。目前仍有至少 400 万根铅制供水管在使用，资金缺口依然巨大。随着专项联邦拨款逐渐用完，各社区将面临艰难抉择。若无额外联邦支持，更多经济负担可能转嫁给家庭，通过提高水费来承担更换费用。
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act committed $15 billion specifically to lead service line replacement over five years, but estimates place the total cost of replacing the nation’s lead service lines at $50 billion to $80 billion. With at least 4 million lead service lines still in use, the funding gap remains substantial. As dedicated federal funding winds down, communities will face difficult choices. Without additional federal support, more of the financial burden could fall on families to cover replacement costs through higher water bills.
美国环保局（EPA）于 2024 年 10 月敲定的《铅和铜规则》改进版，要求大多数供水系统在 10 年内完成更换。要在期限内达标，需要完成管道识别、项目规划、与物业所有者协调以及施工建设等环节，所有这些都需要资金和时间。
The EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, finalized in October 2024, set a 10-year replacement timeline for most water systems. Meeting that deadline requires identifying pipes, planning projects, coordinating with property owners and carrying out construction — all of which take money and time.
更换铅管带来的效益不仅限于更安全的饮用水。一份近期白皮书引用的密歇根州研究估算，更换铅制供水管将带来 32.4 亿美元的未来效益，包括为超过 42 万名新生儿减少铅暴露。预防铅暴露有助于让儿童和社区免受铅对发育和学习造成的长期影响。
Lead-pipe replacement also delivers benefits beyond safer drinking water. Research from Michigan cited in a recent white paper estimated $3.24 billion in future benefits from replacing lead service lines, including reduced lead exposure for more than 420,000 newborns. Preventing exposure can help spare children and communities the lasting consequences of lead’s effects on development and learning.
在等待铅管更换期间，家庭同样需要防护。因为更换作业可能暂时导致饮用水铅含量升高，经认证的减铅滤芯可帮助在此期间限制暴露。
Families also need protection while they wait for lead pipes to be replaced. Because replacement work can temporarily increase lead levels in drinking water, certified lead-reducing filters can help limit exposure in the meantime.
国会可以在已取得的进展基础上，在下一个拨款周期中为三项优先事业提供资金，以继续推进工作。立法者有责任为“饮用水州循环贷款基金”、“减少饮用水中铅含量计划”以及“学校和托儿机构自愿铅检测与减少计划”提供额外拨款。立法者还应推动相关提案，扩大学校和托儿机构对经认证的末端过滤装置的使用，并设立一项新的联邦过滤试点计划，在永久性基础设施改善工程进行期间保护家庭。
Congress can build on the progress already made by funding three priorities in the next appropriations cycle. It is incumbent upon lawmakers to provide additional funding to the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund, the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Program, and the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Program. Lawmakers should also advance proposals to expand access to certified point-of-use filtration in schools and child care facilities and establish a new federal filtration pilot program to protect families while permanent infrastructure improvements are underway.
这些投资将帮助社区更换管道、识别并解决污染问题，保护儿童在学习和日常生活场所的安全。它们还将加强联邦、州和地方层面已在开展的工作。
These investments would help communities replace pipes, identify and address contamination, and protect children where they learn and spend their days. They would also reinforce efforts already underway at the federal, state and local levels.
“全国防治铅中毒周”是提高公众意识的契机，但意识必须转化为行动。环保局已提供资金、技术援助和实用指导。国会和政府必须确保社区拥有完成这项工作所需的资源。
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is an opportunity to raise awareness, but awareness must lead to action. The EPA has provided funding, technical assistance and practical guidance. Congress and the administration must ensure communities have the resources to finish the job.
全国各地的父母都希望确信自家厨房水龙头流出的水不会危害孩子健康。减少铅暴露需要即时防护措施与长期基础设施改善相结合。国家已取得实质性进展，但完成这项工作需要持续投入。
Parents across the country want confidence that the water coming from their kitchen taps will not harm their children. Reducing lead exposure requires a combination of immediate protections and long-term infrastructure improvements. The country has made meaningful progress, but completing the work will require sustained investment.
每个孩子都应享有安全的饮用水，每个社区都应有公平的机会提供安全饮用水。梅·史蒂文斯是“保护儿童远离铅害联盟”执行主任。
Every child deserves safe drinking water, and every community should have a fair chance to deliver it. Mae Stevens is executive director of the Protect Kids From Lead Coalition.