Complying with the U.S. EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvement (LCRI)

By: Shelly Underwood, Kansas State Field Manager

Published: December 2025

As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to strengthen drinking water regulations nationwide, utility operators

and managers face the growing challenge of understanding and complying with evolving requirements. In October 2024, the EPA finalized the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), building upon the 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions aimed at better protecting communities from lead exposure in drinking water. The LCRI is designed to accelerate the removal of lead service lines, improve the accuracy and transparency of service line inventories, reduce regulatory complexity, and ensure the public has clear and consistent information about lead risks and ongoing removal efforts.

While the LCRI significantly enhances public health protections, it also substantially increases the operational demands placed on the public water sector. At the same time, many utilities face staffing limitations—approximately one-third of U.S. drinking water and wastewater operators are expected to reach retirement age by 2028, and an estimated 85 percent of utilities operate with three or fewer employees.

What’s Next? Current and Upcoming LCRI Compliance Requirements

The LCRI required public water systems to complete and submit a Lead Service Line Inventory documenting service line materials throughout their distribution systems by October 16, 2024. Compliance, however, does not end with the initial inventory submission. Effective immediately, utilities must annually update, publish, and resubmit their service line inventories to their state primacy agency and provide expanded consumer notification and public outreach by November 16 each year.

Looking ahead to November 1, 2027, public water systems must also develop a comprehensive lead service line replacement plan, implement new tap sampling protocols, comply with the lowered lead action level of 0.010 mg/L, and prepare a list of all schools and childcare facilities served by their system.

The Midwest Assistance Program, Inc. (MAP) is part of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), a national network that works with five other regional organizations to support utility operators in evaluating the materials used throughout their drinking water distribution systems and categorizing those materials in accordance with EPA guidelines. Once a materials evaluation is complete, MAP staff can assist utilities with developing lead service line replacement plans, securing funding to remove identified lead components, and creating public education materials that help inform and engage homeowners in EPA’s Get the Lead Out initiative.

For utility operators who are still working to complete or refine their lead service line inventory, a simple customer survey can be an effective first step. Surveys may be distributed through multiple platforms, including mail-in forms, links on utility websites or social media pages, or scannable QR codes included with utility bills to make participation easy and accessible. At a minimum, a materials survey should include the following questions:

- What type of structure is this?

- Does this structure use any type of water filtration system?

- What is the most common type of plumbing in this structure?

- What is the second most common type of plumbing in this structure?

- During what year range was the plumbing installed?

Proactive outreach and early action can help utilities build more accurate inventories, improve public awareness, and stay on track for ongoing and future LCRI compliance requirements.

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