Toledo, Ohio, made the replacement of 30,000 lead water service lines a key priority last year to improve public safety, and now the city wants to accelerate the effort by leveraging artificial intelligence. The city will develop a machine learning program to determine where lead pipes might be located and then identify and prioritize which homes need to have their pipes replaced first.
As the Environmental Protection Agency notes, “lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels.”
“The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures,” the EPA states. “In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water.”
