Rid Mass. schools of lead water pipes

To: The Boston Globe
From: Senator Joan B. Lovely and Representative Lori A. Ehrlich
Date: July 9, 2020

In “We need a Water New Deal too” (Opinion, July 4), Jonathan Kaledin calls for national action to overcome “water challenges [that] are in equal part environmental, economic, and social equity issues in nature.” This worthy charge overlooks an important aspect of the dirty-water problem that we can remediate in the Commonwealth.

Too many Massachusetts students attended — and, post-pandemic, will attend again — schools with lead water pipes. Accordingly, we filed bills ensuring safe drinking water in schools. For their brains to fully develop, young people must have the chance to consume water free from this known neurotoxin.