COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – An Ohio lawmaker who suffered from lead poisoning as a child is aiming to eliminate all water pipes made from the metal in the state, calling the issue a “crisis.”
Rep. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) introduced House Bill 534 in May, dubbed the Lead Line Replacement Act, which would replace Ohio’s over 745,000 lead service lines within 15 years. Lead in drinking water can cause behavioral issues and learning disabilities in children, as well as high blood pressure and stroke in adults among other effects, according to Princeton University.
Ohio holds more than 8% of all lead pipes in the country, despite making up 3.6% of the population, according to Jarrells. The state has the third highest amount of lead pipes in the country, a 2023 report by the Environmental Protection Agency found. When it comes to cities’ water systems, Cleveland has the second-highest number of lead pipes nationwide, and Columbus the 15th, according to the agency.
“Our plan is to replace every lead service line in the state over the next 15 years, and that literally is going to change the trajectory of families all across Ohio,” Jarrells said. “We're talking about preventing 640 infant deaths, saving over 9,000 separate lives from heart disease, reducing 3,800 cases of depression, and boosting the IQs of every single child.”
The issue is personal to Jarrells, who got lead poisoning at his grandmother’s apartment as a child. He said as a result, he suffered from speech issues and flu symptoms.
“From that point forward, it became a journey of countless hospital visits, sleepless nights for my family,” Jarrells said. “But also what people don't know and people don't see is I had speech pathology classes from the time I was in kindergarten, all the way to eighth grade.”
Under the bill, the owner or operator of a public water system would be required to identify and replace the lines. The estimated cost to replace all lead pipes in the state is $4.9 billion, according to Jarrells. He said he would "work very hard" for the costs of the bill to be funded by the next state budget, which should pass by the end of June 2025.
However, he pointed to a study by the Ohio Environmental Council that showed Ohio's economy could grow by $145 billion to $185 billion over the next 15 years if the bill passed, in saved physical and mental health care costs and reduced water waste.
“Make no mistake, this is more than just an economic issue,” Jarrells said. “This is a moral issue. Lead poisoning disproportionately affects Black and brown communities, low income families, and those are often forgotten in the corridors of our community.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is hoping to pass a similar rule this year, which aims to remove all lead pipes across the country – over nine million – by 2033. Jarrell’s bill would ensure lead pipes are removed in a timely manner in Ohio, regardless of the outcome of the national proposal.
Lead pipes for water distribution have been used for centuries, with the widespread installation of the service lines beginning on a major scale in the United States in the late 1800s – shortly thereafter, numerous articles and reports began to highlight the dangers, according to the National Library of Medicine.
The problem drew national attention in 2014, when Flint, Michigan, changed its water source and the city failed to properly treat the water, resulting in significant lead contamination and at least 12 deaths.
While Jarrells embarked on a statewide press tour for the Lead Line Replacement Act this month, the bill has not yet had a hearing. There are currently programs in place to help Ohioans seek lead pipe replacements for their homes.
