Biden-Harris Administration Announces $269 Million to California for Clean Water to Schools and Homes, Protects Communities from Lead in Drinking Water
EPA announces new final regulations and new funding under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda for clean drinking water
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule requiring drinking water systems nationwide 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 act 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, ensuring that all communities can turn on the tap and drink clean water.
Alongside the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, EPA is announcing $268,618,000 in newly available drinking water infrastructure funding for California 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.
“All Americans deserve lead-free water, and California is doing the critical public health work of helping water utilities -- including in underserved communities -- search their systems to identify dangerous lead service lines, and then providing the necessary funding to remove and replace these outdated lead pipes,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman.
EPA is also announcing the availability of $35 million in competitive grant funding to reduce 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. EPA has developed a website that identifies available funding sources.
EPA estimates that up to 9 million homes are served through legacy lead pipes across the country, many of which are in lower-income communities and communities of color. As a result, these communities continue to be exposed to and impacted by lead at disproportionately high rates. Eliminating lead exposure from the air people breathe, water people drink, and homes people live in is a crucial component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing environmental justice.
In Western states, lead service lines are not as well documented as elsewhere in the country. Therefore, California is utilizing EPA funding to complete its Service Line Inventory by the October 16, 2024, deadline set by the Lead and Copper Rule Revision. California will continue to update those inventories over the next several years to ensure all lead pipes are identified and addressed.
The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements establish achievable, common-sense practices that several states and cities have implemented. The final rule's public health and economic benefits are estimated to be more than ten times greater than the costs. With new funding announced today under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, water systems can accelerate the removal of lead pipes and create good-paying local jobs.
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. According to the Centers for Disease Control, if someone is impacted by lead exposure, there is no known antidote. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements strengthen nationwide requirements to protect children and adults from lead's significant and irreversible health effects in drinking water. For more information, including a pre-publication version of the federal register notice and fact sheets, visit the rule webpage.
California has already begun tackling the potential lead issue in drinking water service lines. The California State Water Board committed approximately $7.5 million to provide technical assistance for small, disadvantaged community water systems by completing lead service line inventories. There are 66 systems currently, with a total population of 228,154 benefiting from the assistance. In addition, the California State Water Board is working towards a funding agreement with the City of San Diego to provide $7,700,000 in funding to inventory lead service lines in the City’s water system. The City serves approximately 1.4 million people through 282,245 service connections.
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 the nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades. 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. Several additional pathways exist 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 from other federal agencies and state and local governments may also be available. 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 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 service lines, develop replacement plans, and apply for DWSRF funding to get the lead out.
- Practical Implementation Tools. EPA supports drinking water systems in reducing lead exposure through training, tools, webinars, and case studies.
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