This bill seeks to improve drinking water safety in residential units by requiring landlords to disclose lead hazards to tenants and prohibiting any obstruction of lead service line replacements. The Department of Health is tasked with creating an informative notice about the health risks of lead in drinking water within six months of the bill's enactment, which will include protective measures and be updated regularly. Landlords must provide a "Lead In Drinking Water Disclosure" statement to tenants within 90 days of the notice's publication, detailing the presence of lead service lines and any relevant lead action level exceedances.

Additionally, the bill mandates that public community water systems test drinking water for lead upon customer request, with one test per year unless lead action levels are exceeded. However, testing is exempt for properties built after 1986, those with lead-safe service lines, or seasonal rentals. The bill also allows tenants to terminate leases without penalty if landlords obstruct lead service line replacements and establishes a violation process with escalating penalties for non-compliance. The Department of Community Affairs is required to create a model disclosure statement to assist landlords in fulfilling these obligations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 58:12A-43