United States: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States, 3 billion dollars will be used to help countries and homes in locating and replacing supereminent water pipes.
Addressing a Persistent Hazard
“The funding was announced on Thursday in an agency news release,” stated EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “The science is clear, there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the primary source of harmful exposure in drinking water is through lead pipes.”
Prioritizing Public Health
Lead may permanently harm a child’s brain and provide major health hazards. The Bipartisan structure Law, which President Joe Biden inked into law in 2021, includes the finances that was revealed on Thursday. In all, $ 15 billion is allocated to find and replace supereminent pipes.
By law, underprivileged areas will get grants and forgiven loans totaling nearly half of the funds. Nine million lead service lines are estimated to exist countrywide by the EPA.
Nationwide Effort
According to the EPA, the most recent funding round will assist all states and territories in covering the costs of locating and eliminating lead pipes. The EPA published instructions outlining the best methods for states to spend the funds along with the funding itself.
Tens of thousands of people in Flint, Michigan were advised not to drink the city water after testing revealed elevated blood levels of lead in the children living there, bringing the health risks associated with lead pipes to the forefront of public awareness in 2015.
Nine million lead water lines are thought to exist throughout the country, according to EPA estimates.
Presidential Commitment
Regan stated in the press release that Biden is aware of how important it is to locate and eliminate those lead pipes as soon as feasible. “He has secured significant resources for states and territories to accelerate the permanent removal of dangerous lead pipes once and for all,” Regan stated.
Funding will be distributed to states according to need; those with a higher proportion of lead pipes will receive more money.
Promising Projects
To assist water utilities in educating customers about the negative health effects of lead exposure and their responsibility as consumers in locating any lead service lines in their houses, the EPA has developed a new outreach program.
The organization mentioned a number of water projects that have already received funding under the Infrastructure Act, such as the replacement of 5,000 lead service lines in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and 750 lead service lines in underprivileged regions close to Pittsburgh.