The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today, May 2nd, that President Biden's "Investing in America" initiative will inject $3 billion to help each state and region identify and replace lead water pipes to prevent exposure to lead-contaminated drinking water. This funding is part of the bipartisan infrastructure law and will be provided through the EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).
"EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan stated, 'Science clearly shows that there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the primary source of lead in drinking water is lead pipes.' President Biden understands the importance of swiftly locating and removing lead pipes," Regan added, "He ensures that states and regions have substantial resources to expedite the permanent removal of harmful lead pipes once and for all."
The initiative aims to ensure that 40% of the overall benefits of federal funding flow to marginalized communities lacking financial assistance and burdened with severe pollution issues. To date, the initiative has allocated $9 billion to replace up to 1.7 million lead water pipes nationwide, providing clean drinking water to numerous households.
Under the bipartisan infrastructure law, a historic $15 billion has been allocated to identify and replace lead water pipes. This law mandates that 49% of the funding provided through the DWSRF Lead Pipe Replacement Program must be in the form of grants and forgivable loans to benefit disadvantaged communities.
In addition to the funding allocation, EPA released new guidelines on how states can effectively utilize the funds to reduce the risk of lead contamination in drinking water. Furthermore, educational materials have been developed to assist water systems in providing customers with information on lead exposure, its health effects, ownership of service lines, and how customers can support efforts to identify potential lead service lines in their homes.
The Biden-Harris administration's initiative to remove lead water pipes has brought significant results to many families nationwide. Today's latest funding will ensure that more families benefit from these unprecedented resources and support programs.
In Pennsylvania, the West View Water Authority received $8 million through the bipartisan infrastructure law to replace 750 lead water pipes in underserved areas of Allegheny County. Over $5.4 million in debt was forgiven, reducing the financial burden on taxpayers and the community.
In Tucson, Arizona, $6.95 million in funding was allocated through the bipartisan infrastructure law to develop a list of lead water pipes for nine public water systems. This list will be used to plan the replacement of lead water pipes and improve drinking water quality for residents, many of whom come from low-income and disadvantaged communities.
In Kinosha, Wisconsin, which is located between Chicago and Milwaukee, the removal of 5,000 lead water pipes is a priority project. Kinosha is collaborating with the EPA's Water Resource TA team, funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law, to expedite the removal and replacement of lead water pipes.
Cherokee Indian Eastern Band in western North Carolina has been selected to receive support for lead water pipe replacement under the bipartisan infrastructure law. The tribe is listing the water pipes for five public water systems and preparing preliminary engineering reports.
For more information on how the unprecedented funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law is changing communities nationwide, visit the EPA's Investing in America Water Infrastructure Case Map. To read more about ongoing projects, refer to the EPA's quarterly reports on clean water and Drinking Water SRF programs. EPA will provide a memorandum this summer based on the latest Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA) to include the latest lead water pipe distribution map. EPA plans to commence the 8th DWINSA in 2025 to gather data, including information on lead water pipes. More information, including state 2024 funding allocations and details on the "EPA Lead Contamination Drinking Water State Revolving Fund," can be found on the EPA drinking water website.
