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U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, AL-07, announced Wednesday that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding $43.9 million to the State of Alabama to support lead pipe replacement and ensure clean, safe drinking water for Alabama communities. She also announced the finalization of a new EPA rule to eliminate all lead pipes in Alabama’s drinking water systems within the next 10 years.
The new rule and funding are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to replacing every lead pipe in America within a decade. They were made possible by President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Rep. Sewell was the only member of Alabama’s congressional delegation to vote in favor of the law.
“For too long, our most vulnerable Alabamians have had their health and well-being threatened by exposure to lead-contaminated drinking water,” said Rep. Sewell. “But thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we are finally putting an end to this historic injustice. As the only Member of Congress from Alabama to vote in favor of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I am thrilled that Alabama will be receiving this monumental investment to replace dangerous lead pipes and improve the safety of our drinking water supply. We are so grateful to have an administration that is committed to ensuring every family has clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.”
Lead in drinking water irreparably harms the health of children and adults and disproportionately impacts lower-income communities and communities of color. Legacy lead pipes, which have delivered drinking water to homes for decades, have exposed generations of Americans to toxic lead and will continue to do so until they are removed.
The $43.9 million announced today will flow through Alabama’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and is available to support lead pipe replacement and inventory projects. 49 percent of the funding must be provided to disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal forgiveness that does not have to be repaid. EPA also announced 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.
In addition to requiring the replacement of lead pipes within 10 years, the new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water. The final rule also 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.
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.
Find more information on this announcement here.
