111th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3874
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
AN ACT
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reduce lead in drinking water.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water
Act
.
Reducing lead in drinking water
In general
Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–6) is amended—
by adding at the end of subsection (a) the following:
Exemptions
The prohibitions in paragraphs (1) and (3) shall not apply to—
pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, or fixtures, including backflow preventers, that are used exclusively for nonpotable services such as manufacturing, industrial processing, irrigation, outdoor watering, or any other uses where the water is not anticipated to be used for human consumption; or
toilets, bidets, urinals, fill valves, flushometer valves, tub fillers, shower valves, service saddles, or water distribution main gate valves that are 2 inches in diameter or larger.
; and
by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
Definition of lead free
In general
For the purposes of this section, the term lead free means—
not containing more than 0.2 percent lead when used with respect to solder and flux; and
not more than a weighted average of 0.25 percent lead when used with respect to the wetted surfaces of pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures.
Calculation
The weighted average lead content of a pipe, pipe fitting, plumbing fitting, or fixture shall be calculated by using the following formula: For each wetted component, the percentage of lead in the component shall be multiplied by the ratio of the wetted surface area of that component to the total wetted surface area of the entire product to arrive at the weighted percentage of lead of the component. The weighted percentage of lead of each wetted component shall be added together, and the sum of these weighted percentages shall constitute the weighted average lead content of the product. The lead content of the material used to produce wetted components shall be used to determine compliance with paragraph (1)(B). For lead content of materials that are provided as a range, the maximum content of the range shall be used.
.
Effective date
The provisions of subsections (a)(4) and (d) of section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as added by this section, apply beginning on the day that is 36 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Passed the Senate December 16, 2010.
Secretary
