NEW YORK – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $129.2 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help New York 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, takes another major step to advance this work and environmental justice and bolsters 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 as 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.”
“Every New Yorker deserves safe drinking water when they turn on their tap and this major injection of funding will further bolster the work to achieve that goal,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “For too long, the urgent need to improve our drinking water systems has far outweighed the available funding. This crucial Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding is helping close that gap.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, “New York is committed to ensuring our communities are protected from lead which poses a clear threat to public health. Thanks to New York’s Congressional delegation and the Biden Administration’s support and leadership in rolling out Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, New York will remain leaders in reducing exposure to lead in drinking water. This investment directly supports our ongoing efforts to safeguard the health of New Yorkers and ensure all have access to clean water.”
“There is nothing more important than keeping New York drinking water safe for our children and families. Now thanks to my Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law, a major $129 million is flowing to replace potentially toxic lead pipes across the state,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer. “No amount of toxic lead exposure is safe for our children, which is why I lead the charge in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to deliver the funding to get the lead out. This is only the latest in those efforts to bolster the clean and safe drinking water our communities need, all while creating a steady stream of good-paying jobs. I will continue to fight until not one lead pipe remains in New York.”
“Access to safe, reliable drinking water should be a fundamental right, yet far too many New Yorkers are still drinking water from dangerous lead pipes,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “This $129 million in dedicated funding to address lead service lines is monumental for New York and will help improve public health across the state by replacing dangerous lead pipes to ensure lead-free water is flowing into New York communities. I am proud to have helped secure the funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that enables this much-needed investment and will continue fighting for the resources needed to enhance public health and provide New Yorkers with access to safe drinking water.”
“Get the lead out! We must use these funds to remove the remaining lead pipes in Northeast Queens and throughout America. Any amount of lead exposure in drinking water is dangerous and unacceptable, especially for children. Let’s work together to create a safer, healthier future for all,” said U.S. representative Tom Suozzi (NY-03).
“This lead service line replacement federal funding makes critical improvements to New York’s water infrastructure, including in traditionally underserved communities,” said U.S. Representative Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05). “My district continues to benefit from the Biden Administration’s Investing in America Agenda. It is vital that clean water is accessible to New Yorkers, and I applaud the Administration’s steadfast dedication to creating healthier communities across the state.”
“I’m thrilled that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is continuing to deliver for New York,” said U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06). “This crucial measure that I was proud to help pass in Congress is providing needed funding to improve communities across our state, and that includes this initiative to award millions for replacing lead service lines, an issue for which I have long advocated. As New York’s representative on the House of Representatives Regional Leadership Council – which works to promote and implement legislation signed by President Biden – I will continue fighting for even more resources for New York.”
“Access to clean and safe drinking water is a right every New Yorker deserves,” said U.S. Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07). “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I was proud to help pass in Congress, is a monumental step toward replacing lead pipes nationwide and in New York State. I commend the Biden administration for their investments in replacing dangerous lead lines and ensuring clean drinking water. I look forward to continuing to work to improve water infrastructure in New York.”
“New York families deserve to be free from the harms lead service lines have long inflicted on our communities. Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, thankfully, the progress we have long awaited is nearly in our hands. With $129 million in unprecedented funding for lead service line replacement, our state will be safer, its families will be healthier, and its future will be ever-brighter. All New Yorkers have the right to know the water they drink is safe, and I am proud to have fought for the resources needed to make that a reality,” said U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09).
“Replacing lead pipes across New York City and State is critical to protecting our communities, particularly as recent reports suggest roughly 21% of New York City residents may be drinking from lead-contaminated pipes, putting themselves at risk for a number of adverse health effects,” said U.S. Representative Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11). “I’m pleased to see that New York will receive more funding from the EPA and I continue to encourage the State to lift the arbitrary cap placed on these funding pots so New York City can receive its fair share of funding proportional to its population.”
“With today’s announcement of $129 million to replace lead pipes in New York, the Biden Administration is bringing cleaner and healthier drinking water to New Yorkers across our state,” said U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-12). “I’m proud to have voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in Congress which continues to deliver transformative upgrades to our state’s aging infrastructure.”
“I commend the EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan for his ongoing commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of communities in my district and around the nation,” said U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “Together, we are investing in critical water infrastructure needs, ensuring access to clean and safe drinking water as well as flooding prevention. I am proud to help deliver this $420 million in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, signed into law, to help protect the future of our children and prioritize the health of all New Yorkers for generations to come.”
“I’m thrilled to hear that $129 million in federal funding is returning to New York State to help update water systems across the state, and had I been in Congress, I would have voted for this important legislation,” said U.S. Representative Mike Lawler (NY-17). “Hopefully, much of this funding will be directed towards places like the East Ramapo Central School District that are desperately in need of an investment like this one.”
“There is no safe amount of lead exposure for kids – no Hudson Valley family should have to worry that their drinking water is coming from a toxic lead pipe,” said U.S. Representative Pat Ryan (NY-18). “That’s why I’m committed to getting rid of every lead pipe in the Hudson Valley. This historic $129 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for New York will go a long way toward making that possible. I’m fighting like hell to make sure those investments come to communities across the Hudson Valley.”
“Science tells us there is no safe level of lead exposure, yet millions of lead service lines remain in operation, bringing contaminated drinking water to American families,” said U.S. Representative Paul Tonko (NY-20). “Thankfully, the Biden Administration is taking strong action under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to overhaul our drinking water systems and replace lead services lines across our state and nation. I’m proud of our efforts to get this transformative legislation passed, and I’m committed to realizing our mission to get the lead out of our drinking water and ensure that every American knows the water from their tap is clean and safe.”
“Everyone deserves to know their water is safe to drink and free of harmful pollutants like lead,” said U.S. Representative Joe Morelle (NY-25). “I’m grateful to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Biden Administration for their ongoing commitment to investing in projects which improve our water infrastructures and help secure this peace of mind for our families. I look forward to continuing my work with them and my colleagues in Congress to protect everyone’s right to clean water and safeguard our environment for future generations.”
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 New York fund projects to remove lead pipes and reduce exposure to lead from drinking water. This Lead Service Line-specific formula allows states to receive financial assistance commensurate with their need as soon as possible, furthering public health protection nationwide. To ensure that funding is used for lead service line related activities, LSLR allotments are based on need — meaning that states with more projected lead service lines receive proportionally more.
Alongside the funding announced today, EPA is also releasing a 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. 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 including an assessment of the one-time update submissions. 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.
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