Trump administration to stand by tough Biden-era mandates to replace lead pipes

The Trump administration says it supports a strict Biden-era rule that forces cities to replace most lead water pipes within 10 years. On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency told a federal appeals court it will defend the rule against a utility industry lawsuit. It says older approaches, like chemical treatment and monitoring, did not stop contamination. Utilities argue the deadline is not feasible. There are millions of lead pipes serving homes, mostly in older industrial cities like Milwaukee, Chicago and Detroit.