Viken successfully field-tests innovative technology for detecting lead pipes supplying our nation’s drinking water

Announcement follows the company’s recent technology-validation testing and guidance to the EPA on how to efficiently and safely identify and remediate lead in water service lines

 

BURLINGTON, Mass.–Viken Detection, a leading manufacturer of detection tools for public safety agencies, today announced its success in piloting a new technology for lead detection in buried water service lines. The company now seeks agency and commercial partnerships for faster deployment, given the urgent threat to children’s health.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $15 billion of direct Federal funding for lead service line identification and replacement through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), and up to an additional $12 billion in funding for eligible lead pipe replacement. According to the Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan, it is estimated that up to 10 million households and 400,000 schools and childcare facilities are supplied water through service lines containing lead. The EPA, through its proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), would mandate 100% lead service line replacement.

Recent legislation and agency guidance also targets the eradication of childhood lead-poisoning from paint contamination. Viken has been at the forefront of this initiative with its Pb200^TM handheld lead-in-paint analyzer, long known for its market-leading sensitivity in detecting trace amounts of lead in household paint. With approximately 3,000 units in-use across the U.S. identifying lead paint in homes and housing communities, and 100 million reliable measurements to date, thousands of young children have avoided the debilitating health effects of lead-poisoning. Viken now sets its sights on eradicating lead contamination in the nation’s drinking water supply.

Viken’s patent-pending technology offers an innovative means for lead pipe identification and targeted removal. Viken’s real-time in-pipe detection techniques for buried lines combined with on-pipe analysis not only ensures safer and more reliable inventorying and removal of fully (or partially) lead-contaminated lines, but also minimizes disturbances to the removal sites and inconveniences to the surrounding communities.

“The continued existence of lead service lines in the drinking water supply is a serious child health issue. It is encouraging that the federal government is prioritizing lead decontamination in drinking water to make sure water crises like in Flint, Michigan are not allowed to persist,” said Jim Ryan, CEO of Viken Detection. “Viken remains committed to offering affordable, safe, and effective solutions to tackle today’s most imminent threats. Ensuring all children have access to lead-free drinking water can happen much faster than we think.”

Viken is seeking state and municipal water agencies, academic institutions, and commercial partners to advance the implementation of its technology. Interested parties are encouraged to contact Viken Detection at gettheleadout@vikendetection.com.

 

About Viken Detection

Viken equips public safety organizations, including customs and border protection agencies, law enforcement, and security professionals with effective, safe, and affordable detection tools to thwart imminent threats. The company’s innovative suite of handheld x-ray imagers, chemical analyzers, vehicle scanners and elemental analyzers are proven and reliable in their respective markets with thousands of units operating in the field. Viken Detection is headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.vikendetection.com.