"Nearly two dozen environmental, health, consumer and water utility groups are uniting to help communities replace old lead pipes that are the primary culprit behind the lead contamination of millions of Americans' drinking water.

The Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative won’t change out the pipes itself. But starting this week, it will provide communities with advice and tools to speed up pipe replacement.

Organizers say the effort was inspired in part by a USA TODAY Network investigation that found excessive levels of lead in almost 2,000 water systems spanning all 50 states. The reporting also revealed a double standard that leaves Americans served by small utilities especially vulnerable to lead-tainted tap water. The primary source of the toxin is old lead water pipes, and communities and homeowners, especially those in small, rural communities, have struggled with the cost of replacing them."

Laura Ungar reports for USA TODAY January 10, 2017.