Biden Announces Funding To Replace Lead Water Pipes in U.S. Over Next 10 Years

The White House announced this week that over $27 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to help replace every lead pipe delivering drinking water to U.S. homes within the next ten years.

It’s been nearly a decade since the serious health risks posed by lead pipes were highlighted in the community of Flint, Michigan, when a number of children were left with severe developmental injuries and other problems after exposure to elevated lead levels after the city switched its drinking water supply to an older infrastructure.

Despite the high-profile nature of the lead poisoning that occurred in Flint, EPA research indicates more than 9.2 million homes in the U.S. still have lead pipes providing tainted and toxic water to children and families.

Exposure to water from lead pipes can cause lead poisoning, resulting in serious health side effects, especially among children. Health experts have determined that there is no safe level of lead exposure for children, who can be left with life-long disabilities from the toxic metal.

Lead exposure at any level is known to affect cognitive development, reduce the brain’s structural integrity, damage the kidneys, reduce a child’s IQ, and cause cardiovascular disease. More so, lead poisoning disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color.

Earlier this week, President Joe Biden announced the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan final rule, which promises to deliver funding for a comprehensive plan to replace lead pipes in cities across the country.

The final rule, issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is aimed at helping to reduce the impact on children and communities throughout the U.S.

Since Biden took office 367,000 lead pipes have been replaced, helping more than 918,000 people avoid toxic lead exposure and the subsequent health effects, according to the administration.

The rule was first proposed in 2023. However, promulgation was accelerated late last year and finalized this month, as part of President Biden’s “sprinting to the finish” commitment to deliver on many promises before the end of his term.

Since Biden began working on the Investing in America agenda, more than $15 billion in dedicated funding for lead pipe replacement has been secured through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with an additional $11.7 billion earmarked for both drinking water development and lead pipe replacement.

Additionally, the Department of Housing and Urban Development invested more than $416 million in new grants for lead hazard reduction, improved home health, energy efficiency and community safety.

The new rule will require drinking water systems across the U.S. to replace lead water lines within 10 years. Part of the rule includes an EPA investment of $2.6 billion for water supply upgrades and lead pipe replacements, funded by Biden’s landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The agency estimates the new rule will prevent 900,000 infants from being born with low birth weight, stop 200,000 IQ points lost in children, and reduce 1,500 cases of premature death from heart disease.

“Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to ensure that every American can turn on their tap and drink clean water without fear of lead and other toxic chemicals,” the press release states. “In addition to providing clean drinking water for millions, this effort is also creating good-paying jobs, many of them union jobs, in replacing lead pipes and delivering clean water to households.”