BOSTON (May 2, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $28,650,000 from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help Connecticut identify and replace lead service lines, preventing exposure to lead in drinking water. Lead can cause a range of serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to brain development in children. To protect children and families, President Biden has committed to replacing every lead pipe in the country. Today’s announcement, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and available through EPA’s successful Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), takes another major step to advance this work and the Administration’s commitment to environmental justice. This funding builds on the Administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan and EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative.
Working collaboratively, EPA and the State Revolving Funds are advancing the President’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of overall benefits from certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families. The total funding announced through this program to date is expected to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes nationwide, securing clean drinking water for countless families.
“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, ” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden understands it is critical to identify and remove lead pipes as quickly as possible, and he has secured significant resources for states and territories to accelerate the permanent removal of dangerous lead pipes once and for all. “
“Our goal is simple, yet essential: to assure that everyone has clean, safe drinking water. That’s why identifying and replacing lead service lines is crucial; it can protect our communities, especially the most vulnerable, from lead exposure, ” said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “New England has some of the oldest housing stock in the country, and no one—no matter where they live—should have to worry about lead in their drinking water and what comes out of the tap. This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides the much-needed resources to help deliver on that promise—to replace every lead pipe and ensure clean, safe drinking water for all. “
“This $3 billion is a major step toward preventing lead contamination in our drinking water. Lead can cause irreversible health problems, especially in children, and it is absolutely critical that we replace harmful lead water lines with safe alternatives. I am thrilled to see that $28.6 million of this incredible investment by the Biden Administration will come to Connecticut and will keep fighting for more federal dollars to ensure healthy and clean drinking water for all, said Senator Richard Blumenthal. “
“No one in our state should have to think twice before drinking their own tap water, ” said Senator Chris Murphy. “This $28.6 million federal grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will go a long way to replace our old lead pipes so every family in every zip code has reliable access to clean, safe drinking water. “
“The Connecticut Congressional delegation worked together to secure significant investments in upgrading our state’s clean water infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the first-ever federal program dedicated to replacing lead service pipes, ” said Rep. John B. Larson. “The nearly $29 million in funding we secured for Connecticut will allow communities across the state to identify and replace lead service lines and take steps to reduce lead exposure in drinking water. I remain committed to ensuring safe drinking water is accessible to everyone, regardless of income or zip code. “
“Every community deserves access to clean drinking water. This latest investment by the Biden administration to replace outdated and dangerous lead pipes will directly impact the people of Connecticut and improve water quality in traditionally marginalized communities, ” said U.S. Representative Jahana Hayes. “Once again, we are seeing the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law deliver for Connecticut, and I look forward to the tangible benefits these investments will bring to the health and safety of our communities. “
“This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which sets water quality standards for the nation’s drinking water and establishes a framework to safeguard the public health and safety of U.S. citizens, ” said Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. “The lead service lines that connect the home to the water main are typically the most significant source of lead in drinking water, and we estimate that there are thousands of lead service lines in Connecticut that need to be replaced. Having this funding available to our cities and towns is another example of a successful collaboration between federal and state governments that will ultimately benefit the health and wellness of our residents. “
“The timing of the release of these State Revolving Funds comes at the perfect time since Drinking Water Week is recognized from May 5th to May 11th, ” said Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “Eliminating lead in our homes and drinking water is a top priority for DPH. Excessive lead intake, whether through drinking water or other sources, can lead to severe health issues, including brain and kidney damage, and can disrupt the production of red blood cells that transport oxygen throughout the body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Connecticut is home to superior drinking water quality, largely due to a robust infrastructure and committed water professionals who monitor and protect water quality and safety. These funds will enable us to continue to improve the quality of drinking water for all the residents of Connecticut. “
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $15 billion to identify and replace lead service lines. The law mandates that 49% of funds provided through the DWSRF General Supplemental Funding and DWSRF Lead Service Line Replacement Funding must be provided as grants and forgivable loans to disadvantaged communities, a crucial investment for communities that have been underinvested in for too long. EPA projects a national total of 9 million lead services lines across the country, based on data collected from the updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment. The funding announced today will be provided specifically for lead service line identification and replacement and will help every state and territory fund projects to remove lead pipes and reduce exposure to lead from drinking water.
The Lead Service Line-specific formula used to allot these funds allows states to receive financial assistance commensurate with their need as soon as possible, furthering public health protection nationwide. The formula and allotments are based on need — meaning that states with more projected lead service lines receive proportionally more funding.
Alongside the funding announced today, EPA is also releasing a new memorandum that clarifies how states can use this and other funding to most effectively reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. Additionally, EPA has developed new outreach documents to help water systems educate their customers on drinking water issues, health impacts of lead exposure, service line ownership, and how customers can support the identification of potential lead service lines in their homes.
The Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious initiative to remove lead pipes has already delivered significant results for families across the nation. Today’s latest funding will ensure more families benefit from these unprecedented resources, and support projects like these:
- The Metropolitan District Commission has received $1,360,535 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to inventory lead service lines within their water service area.
- The Town of Putnam has received $425,000 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to develop a detailed electronic database and mapping component of the system’s water service lines and develop a Lead Service Line Replacement Program Plan, conducting public outreach, conducting inventory verification, developing a computerized hydraulic model, and flushing program.
To view more stories about how the unpreceded investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are transforming communities across the country, visit EPA’s Investing in America’s Water Infrastructure Story Map. To read more about some additional projects that are underway, see EPA’s recently released Quarterly Report on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funded Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF projects and explore the State Revolving Funds Public Portal.
Today’s allotments are based on EPA’s updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA) including an assessment of newly submitted information. To date, this is the best available data collected and assessed on service line materials in the United States. Later this summer, EPA will release an addendum to the 7th DWINSA Report to Congress which will include the updated lead service line projections. EPA anticipates initiating data collection, which will include information on lead service lines, for the 8th DWINSA in 2025.
For more information, including state-by-state allotment of 2024 funding, and a breakdown of EPA’s lead Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, please visit EPA’s Drinking Water website.