New Drinking Water Plan Released by Biden Admin

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new multimillion dollar drinking plan on Thursday that will go toward President Joe Biden’s goals of reducing lead exposure throughout the nation.
The funding worth $26 million will be delivered as grants for schools and child care facilities to help reduce lead exposure among children, the EPA said. The money was authorized by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, according to a news release from the EPA. The grants will be used in 55 states and territories to pay for lead testing and the subsequent removal of sources contributing to toxic levels of lead in drinking water throughout the U.S.
“The science is clear: There is no safe level of exposure to lead,” acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott said in the news release. “As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, this $26 million will help protect our children from the harmful impacts of lead. EPA is also investing $15 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to remove lead pipes and is providing technical assistance to communities to help them develop and implement lead pipe replacement projects.”
Grant recipients will be required to use a strategy known as the 3 Ts, which stands for training, testing and taking action when it comes to lead in drinking water. Newsweek reached out to the EPA by email for comment.
The EPA in the news release warned of the effects of lead exposure, which are particularly harmful to children.
“In children, lead can severely harm mental and physical development, slowing down learning, and irreversibly damaging the brain,” the news release said. “In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function, and cancer.”
The funding comes as the Oakland Unified School District in California recently shared that it found concerning levels of lead in water fixtures such as water fountains in several of its schools. Although the district is taking steps to remedy the issue, school leaders came under further scrutiny when parents and teachers learned that testing was done in the spring, and they weren’t notified until August about the concerning levels of lead.
The Biden administration is working to replace lead service lines throughout the nation and has dedicated $15 billion to the effort, the EPA news release said.
In 2023, the EPA released data revealing how many lead service lines are present in each state. Florida was shown to have the most lead service lines in the country at 1.16 million lines, more than 12 percent of the total number of service lines in the state. Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and New York also have elevated percentages of lead lines.