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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. (Ungar, 1/10)

A bill that will require Illinois elementary schools and day care centers to test for lead in drinking water now heads to the governor’s desk, and he is expected to sign it into law. The measure was approved by the Illinois Senate 55-0 on Tuesday. It was previously approved 48-5 in the Senate but it was reworked via amendments to include additional requirements.The bill requires school districts to collect and analyze water samples from drinking fountains and kitchen sinks in schools that serve pre-kindergarten through fifth graders in buildings that were built before Jan 1, 2000. Those samples must be tested for lead. (Sfondeles, 1/10)