The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced funding of $28,650,000 from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to assist South Dakota in identifying and replacing lead service lines, thus preventing exposure to lead in drinking water. This move is part of President Biden's commitment to replacing every lead pipe in the nation.
"EPA is dedicated to protecting the health of all South Dakotans by ensuring the water flowing into their taps is safe and reliable," said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. "Everyone deserves access to clean drinking water, and this lead service line replacement funding underscores our commitment to making that happen, especially in disadvantaged communities."
The funding, made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, aims to advance the administration's commitment to environmental justice. It builds upon initiatives like the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan and EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative.
Lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families, making initiatives like the Justice40 Initiative crucial. This initiative ensures that 40% of overall benefits from federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $15 billion to identify and replace lead service lines, with a mandate that a significant portion of the funds be provided as grants and forgivable loans to disadvantaged communities. The goal is to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes nationwide, securing clean drinking water for countless families.
EPA projects a national total of 9 million lead service lines across the country, with the funding announced aiming to help every state and territory fund projects to remove lead pipes and reduce lead exposure from drinking water.
To further support these efforts, EPA is releasing a new memorandum on how states can effectively reduce lead exposure in drinking water, along with outreach documents to help water systems educate customers on lead exposure, service line ownership, and how customers can support the identification of potential lead service lines in their homes.
The funding allotments are based on EPA’s updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment, with future data collection and projections planned for the coming years.
For more information on the state-by-state allotment of 2024 funding and details on EPA’s lead Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, interested individuals can visit EPA’s Drinking Water website.
