(AGENPARL) – mar 08 ottobre 2024 Issued: Oct 8, 2024 (10:39am EDT)
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EPA Issues Final Rule Requiring Replacement of Lead Pipes Within 10 Years,
Announces over $37.4M in Funding to Iowa to Provide Clean Water to Schools and
Homes
EPA announces new final regulations and new funding under the Biden-Harris
administration’s Investing in America Agenda for clean drinking water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 – 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa,
KS 66219
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations
EPA Issues Final Rule Requiring Replacement of Lead Pipes Within 10 Years,
Announces over $37.4M in Funding to Iowa to Provide Clean Water to Schools and
Homes
EPA announces new final regulations and new funding under the Biden-Harris
administration’s Investing in America Agenda for clean drinking water
Contact Information: Jonathan Klusmeyer, 913-343-2991,
LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 8, 2024) – Today, the Biden-Harris administration issued
a final rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify
and replace lead pipes within 10 years. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements
(LCRI) also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower
threshold for communities to take action on lead in drinking water to protect
people from lead exposure. In addition, the final rule improves communication
within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead
in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them.
This final rule is part of the President’s commitment to replace every lead
pipe in the country within a decade, making sure that all communities can turn
on the tap and drink clean water. 
Alongside the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, EPA is announcing $37,434,000
in newly available drinking water infrastructure funding for Iowa through the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will flow through the Drinking
Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRFs) and is available to support lead pipe
replacement and inventory projects. Additionally, 49% of the funding must be
provided to disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal
forgiveness that does not have to be repaid. EPA is also announcing the
availability of $35 million in competitive grant funding for reducing lead in
drinking water. Communities are invited to apply directly for grant funding
through this program. Additional federal funding is available to support lead
pipe replacement projects and EPA has developed a website identifying
available funding sources. 
EPA estimates that up to 9 million homes are served through legacy lead pipes
across the country, many of which are located in lower-income communities and
communities of color, creating disproportionate lead exposure burden for these
families. Eliminating lead exposure from the air people breathe, the water
people drink, and the homes people live in is a crucial component of the
Biden-Harris administration’s historic commitment to advancing environmental
justice. 
The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements establish achievable, common-sense
practices which have been implemented by several states and cities. The public
health and economic benefits of the final rule are estimated to be up to 13
times greater than the costs, and together with new funding announced today
under Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, water
systems will be able to accelerate removal of lead pipes and create
good-paying local jobs in the process. 
“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,” said EPA Administrator Michael S.
Regan. “President Biden is putting an end to this generational public health
problem. With the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements and historic investments
in lead pipe replacement, the Biden-Harris administration is fulfilling its
commitment that no community, regardless of race, geography, or wealth, should
have to worry about lead-contaminated water in their homes.” 
“For generations, lead in our water has jeopardized the health of our
children and most vulnerable Americans,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator
Meghan A. McCollister. “With these rule improvements and funding, now is the
time to get the lead out.”
The science is clear: Lead is a potent neurotoxin and there is no safe level
of lead exposure, particularly for children. In children, lead can severely
harm mental and physical development, slow down learning, and irreversibly
damage the brain. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart
disease, decreased kidney function, and cancer. If someone is impacted by lead
exposure, there is no known antidote, according to the Centers for Disease
Control. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements strengthen nationwide
requirements to protect children and adults from these significant and
irreversible health effects from lead in drinking water. 
Communities across the country have already begun to tackle lead pipes: 
·       Milwaukee Water Works is on track to replace all remaining lead
pipes within the EPA’s ten-year timeframe. In 2024 alone, Milwaukee received
approximately $30 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to replace
3,400 lead service lines.  
·       The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department has received $90
million from the Administration and will replace more than 8,000 lead service
lines this year, putting the city on track to replace all lead pipes in 10
years. 
·       The Erie, Pennsylvania Water Works has received $49 million
from EPA to enable the city to replace all lead pipes within 5 years instead
of 25 years.    
·       Denver Water has accelerated its efforts through $76 million
from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allowing the city to be on track to
replace all lead pipes within a decade. 
The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements will help protect millions of Americans
from exposure to lead in drinking water. EPA estimates that on average, every
year after the LCRI is issued, it will: 
·       Protect up to 900,000 infants from having low birthweight. 
·       Prevent Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in up
to 2,600 children. 
·       Reduce up to 1,500 cases of premature death from heart
disease. 
·       Prevent up to 200,000 IQ points lost in children. 
Investments in identifying lead pipes, planning for their removal, and
replacing them will create jobs in local communities, while strengthening the
foundation of safe drinking water that supports economic opportunity. 
For more information about the final rule, including a pre-publication version
of the Federal Register notice and fact sheets, visit the rule webpage. 
Background 
EPA is taking a comprehensive approach to getting the lead out, including: 
·       Regulatory Framework: EPA’s final Lead and Copper Rule
Improvements follow the science and EPA’s authority under the Safe
Drinking Water Act to strengthen regulatory requirements to address lead in
drinking water. 
·       Funding: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $50
billion to support upgrades to the nation’s drinking water and wastewater
infrastructure. This includes $15 billion over five years dedicated to lead
service line replacement and $11.7 billion of general Drinking Water State
Revolving Funds that can also be used for lead service line
replacement. There are a number of additional pathways for systems to
receive financial support for lead service line replacement. These include
billions available as low- to no-cost financing through annual funding
provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program and
low-cost financing from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act
(WIFIA) program. Funding may also be available from other federal agencies,
state, and local governments. These efforts also advance the Biden-Harris
administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the
overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged
communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by
pollution. 
·       Technical Assistance: EPA’s water technical assistance
(WaterTA), including the LSLR Accelerators and the Get the Lead Out
Initiative, helps communities identify lead services lines, develop
replacement plans, and apply for funding, including DWSRF funding, to get the
lead out. 
·       Practical Implementation Tools: Through training, tools,
webinars, and case studies, EPA provides support to drinking water systems to
reduce lead exposure. 
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Learn more about EPA Region 7
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