The U.S. EPA has issued a final rule on the 2005 Drinking Water Lead Reduction Plan that will improve requirements in the areas of monitoring, customer awareness and lead service line replacement. Specifically, the agency will require water suppliers to provide consumers with information to help them make decisions about how to limit their exposure to lead in drinking water.

According to Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for Water, "The public must have confidence in the safety of their tap water, which is, ounce-for-ounce, one of America's greatest and most affordable assets. EPA's targeted improvements will clarify requirements for utilities, and provide more timely and useful information for the public."

A copy of the rule and more information on lead in drinking water can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lcrmr/index.html