Water Prize Winners Tap Into Innovation To Replace Toxic Lead Pipes Faster

The Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) has announced the winners of its Water Data Prize, demonstrating how lead pipes across America can be replaced quickly and equitably to ensure access to safe, clean drinking water.

More than 50 organizations and individuals from communications and technology firms, academia, community groups, and water utilities submitted entries aimed at effectively replacing lead water pipes. The entries were submitted in four categories related to lead service line inventories and mapping, replacing pipes equitably, and proactive communications on lead risks and programs.

CDM Smith and the City of Newark was the overall winner of this year’s Water Data Prize, and will be awarded $50,000 in prize money by a panel of judges. The winners of the following categories will each be awarded $10,000 each:

• Inventory: 120Water
• Mapping: KETOS
• Equity: Jersey Water Works and New Jersey Future
• Communications: Raftelis
• Wildcard: Center for Neighborhood Technology

View their submissions on the Water Data Prize website here: www.waterdataprize.com/2021-winners.

“Toxic lead pipes carrying our drinking water, installed a century or more ago, have no place in the modern world,” said Maureen Cunningham, Director of Water Strategy at EPIC. “The Environmental Policy Innovation Center believes the country’s 10 million lead pipes should be replaced over the next decade or less, and the path to doing so will require not only funding but also innovation and ingenuity.”

“EPIC is excited to see the new ideas, tools, and technologies submitted to this year’s Water Data Prize to address lead pipe replacement faster and more equitably. EPIC hopes to now see these ideas being embraced at a larger scale by water systems, to ensure that all residents of this country have access to safe, lead-free water,” Cunningham added.

The bipartisan infrastructure law includes $15B over the next five years for lead service line replacement, creating a critical moment for water systems across the country to implement innovative new ideas and tools to quickly and equitably replace lead pipes.

Through the Water Data Prize, EPIC sought to spur innovation around lead service line replacement that is not only equitable for marginalized communities, but also uses effective communication, can predict where lead pipes are, and visualize data in an easy-to-understand and accessible format.

About Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC)
The Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC whose mission is to build policies that deliver spectacular improvements in the speed and scale of conservation and environmental progress. In our water work, we focus on innovative policies that improve health, access, and affordability; eliminate disparities across water systems; and build public trust in water supplies. For more information, visit www.policyinnovation.org.

EPIC created the Water Data Prize to inspire new approaches to expediting the removal of lead service lines in municipalities across the country. More than 50 applications from individuals in the water sector submitted entries to the Water Data Prize, and an esteemed panel of judges reviewed the submissions looking for equitable and effective ways to speed the removal of toxic lead pipes and remove the threat of lead in drinking water for as many people as possible.

Learn more about the categories and how the submissions reflect equitable, effective ideas to speed the removal of lead from drinking water at waterdataprize.com.

Judges

• Al Cho, Xylem
• Stephanie Corso, Rogue Water
• Tiffani Ashley Bell, The Human Utility
• Monica Lewis Patrick, We the People of Detroit
• Lynn Thorp, Clean Water Action, Clean Water Fund
• JP Miller, Center for Geospatial Solutions
• Jonathan Cuppett, Water Research Foundation
• Jeff Swertfeger, Greater Cincinnati Waterworks
• Jalonne White Newsome, EGE^2
• Chris Sosnowski, WaterClick
• Anna-Lisa Castle, Alliance for the Great Lakes
• Amen Ra Mashariki, NVIDIA // Fellow - Bezos Earth Fund
• Alicia Smith, The Junction Coalition
• Alan Roberson, Association of State Drinking Water Administrators