Assuring that the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River continue to provide a plentiful source of clean, affordable water to the region’s residents, businesses, and industries is the guiding principle around which the GLLC is organized. One of the region’s greatest natural resources, clean water is essential for the quality of life of our residents, the health of our environment, and the productivity of our economy.
Drinking water resources in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region are threatened by pollution of water at the source, as well as aging infrastructure that introduces contaminants like lead as water is transported to homes, schools, and commercial buildings.
States and provinces are at the forefront of addressing these problems, particularly the financing of infrastructure upgrades that will remove lead-containing pipes and fixtures from the water distribution system.
What is the GLLC Doing?
In 2018, the GLLC adopted a policy agenda that identified water consumption as one of the top priorities for the Caucus. Specifically, the GLLC committed to the following:
- Assure the availability of safe, clean, affordable drinking water
- Monitor the implementation of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement
In 2018, highlighting the importance of this issue, the GLLC held a Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Policy Institute focused on eliminating the incidence of lead in drinking water.
Task Force on Lead
In 2018, state and provincial legislators gathered in Erie, Pennsylvania, for a special policy institute that would help GLLC members begin to take coordinated, regional action to address the problem of lead in drinking water.
Following the institute, the participating GLLC members organized the Caucus’s Task Force on Lead. The task force produced a GLLC resolution that committed the Caucus members to working together to reduce the population’s exposure to lead in drinking water. In 2019, the work of the task force continued with the development of an action plan and model policy for state and provincial legislators to consider enacting. This work continued in 2020 with revisions to both the action plan and the model policy to enhance opportunities for community water systems to finance the full replacement of lead service lines.
Policy Positions and Correspondence
- Comment Letter on the U.S. EPA’s Proposed Revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule (February 2020)
- Model Policy (July 2019)
- Action Plan (December 2019)
- Resolution on Reducing Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water (September 2018)
On this Website
- Reducing the Population’s Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water: Proposed Revisions to the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule (February 3, 2020) – Task Force on Lead web meeting
- Effective Measures to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water (March 1, 2019) – GLLC quarterly web meeting
- Opportunities for Addressing Lead in Drinking Water (September 7, 2018) – Second of two policy institute web meetings
- The Impact of Impure Water on Public Health and the Economy (August 17, 2018) – First of two policy institute web meetings
For More Information
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Website about Lead in Drinking Water