Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today a $3 billion funding initiative as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda to identify and replace all lead service lines in the United States to prevent lead exposure in drinking water. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "There is no safe level of lead exposure, and the primary source of harmful exposure in drinking water is through lead pipes."
President Biden's commitment to protecting public health and ensuring safe water supply has led to the allocation of substantial resources for the accelerated permanent removal of hazardous lead pipes nationwide. This investment, supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), marks a significant step towards advancing the administration's goals of environmental justice.
The funding announcement aims to address the disproportionate impact of lead exposure on communities of color and low-income areas, with a focus on replacing up to 1.7 million lead pipes across the country. The EPA's efforts, in collaboration with the DWSRF program, seek to provide clean drinking water to numerous households and protect children and families from the serious health effects of lead exposure.
In response to this initiative, various regions have already begun lead pipe replacement projects supported by the federal funding. For example, the Westview Water Authority in Pennsylvania received $8 million to replace 750 lead service lines in underserved communities, reducing financial burdens on residents and improving overall water quality.
Similarly, cities like Tucson, Arizona, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, have received funding to develop inventory and replace lead service lines, with a focus on enhancing water quality for residents in low-income and marginalized communities. The Cherokee Indian Eastern Band in North Carolina has also been selected to receive funding for service line inventory and engineering reports for public water systems in the region.
The nationwide effort to remove lead pipes is already showing significant results in communities across the country, with more households benefitting from the unprecedented resources made available through the latest funding support. The EPA's commitment to ensuring safe drinking water and reducing lead exposure underscores the administration's dedication to public health and environmental protection.
For more information on ongoing projects and the impact of the Biden-Harris Administration's lead pipe removal plan, visit the EPA's Investing in America’s Water Infrastructure Story Map. Additional updates on clean water and drinking water projects supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law can be found in the quarterly reports available on the EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund portal.
The announcement of the funding distribution is based on the updated Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA), reflecting the most comprehensive data available on service line locations in the United States. As efforts continue to address lead service lines, the EPA plans to release appendices detailing the updated plans by the end of the summer, with further data collection on lead service lines expected to begin in the 2025 DWINSA.
For detailed information on the state-by-state allocation of the 2024 funding and the EPA's activities related to lead drinking water revolving funds, please visit the EPA's Drinking Water website.
