The Biden-Harris Administration has announced new regulations and funding aimed at addressing lead contamination in drinking water. A final rule requires U.S. water systems to identify and replace lead pipes within ten years, as part of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). The regulation mandates more stringent testing and a lower action threshold for lead in water, aiming to improve community awareness about risks associated with lead pipes.
Alongside this regulatory move, $68,611,000 in funding has been allocated to North Carolina for infrastructure projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This financial support will be channeled via Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRFs) to aid in replacing lead pipes. Nearly half of these funds are earmarked for disadvantaged communities as grants or principal forgiveness loans that do not require repayment. Additionally, $35 million is available nationwide through competitive grants targeting reduced lead levels in drinking water.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan emphasized the longstanding impact of lead exposure on children's health: “We’ve known for decades that lead exposure has serious long-term impacts for children’s health. And yet, millions of lead service lines are still delivering drinking water to homes,” he said.
Jeaneanne Gettle, acting Administrator of EPA's Region 4, highlighted the significance of these measures: “Our new lead rule and the funding that it provides are crucial to address a long-standing problem in our Southeastern states of families and children being exposed to lead from the pipes in their homes.”
Lead poses significant health risks; it is a neurotoxin with no safe level of exposure, especially dangerous for children who may suffer developmental harm from contact with it.
Several cities have already taken steps towards eliminating lead pipes from their water systems. Milwaukee aims to meet the EPA's timeline by replacing all remaining pipes within ten years. Detroit has replaced nearly 10,000 lines since 2018. Cincinnati has initiated a program aligned with federal goals after replacing over 6,000 lines since 2018.
The LCRI aims to shield Americans from adverse health effects related to lead exposure by preventing issues such as low birth weight among infants and cognitive deficits among children while also creating local jobs tied to pipe replacement efforts.
