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Lead & Copper Rule Revisions, Lead & Copper Rule Improvements
EPA published the final Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) in the Federal Register on January 15, 2021. The final rule included several new provisions and changes to the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) to support the reduction of lead in drinking water, including requiring public water supplies to identify and make public the locations of lead, non-lead, and unknown service lines through a service line inventory.
On March 12, 2021, EPA published a notice that impacts implementation for the LCRR. The notice proposed to delay the effective date of the LCRR until December 16, 2021, and proposed to delay the compliance date to October 16, 2024.
Concurrently, the EPA developed rulemaking to strengthen key elements of the LCRR. EPA published the final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) in the Federal Register on October 30, 2024. The final rule requires drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years. The LCRI also requires more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water. In addition, the final rule improves communication within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them. The compliance date of the LCRI is November 1, 2027.
- IDNR LCRI Frequently Asked Questions (111.41 KB) .pdf
- LCRR Implementation Guidance
- LCRI technical fact sheets and other supporting materials from EPA
- Iowa DNR Lead Service Line Fact Sheet (734.92 KB) .pdf
- LCRI Service Line Inventory Tips - EPA Fact Sheet (534 KB) .pdf
- LCRI Service Line Replacement Access Tips - EPA Fact Sheet (232.62 KB) .pdf
This information is current as of March 2026.
Back to topService Line Inventory Resources for Public Water Supply Systems
Back to topExternal Resources
There are additional resources about lead that can educate public water supply systems and the public on steps that can be taken. Some of these resources are shared here.
- Iowa Health and Human Services provides Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Resources.
- The EPA's Lead-Free Certification Marks document (1.32 MB) .pdf provides descriptions of the certification marks on various types of pipes and plumbing fixtures, in compliance with the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act of 2011.
- The EPA's Revised Lead and Copper Rule webpage provides information, including a guidance document for developing and maintaining a service line inventory.