With 9 Million Lead-Based Pipelines In The U.S., EPA Requests $625 Billion
As the U.S. EPA works to address one of the nation’s most pervasive drinking water contamination issues, it has released a new estimate for the number of lead-based pipelines and provided a price tag for replacing them.
“The Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment, conducted in 2021 as part of requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act, looked at more than 3,600 public water systems across the country and its territories,” CBS News reported. “Based on those results, EPA officials estimate that there are roughly 9.2 million lead service lines in the U.S.”
The problems associated with this outdated water system infrastructure are well documented, as public health emergencies like the one declared in Flint, Michigan, force consumers to turn to bottled water, bring federal intervention into drinking water treatment, and result in negative health effects.
Under the Biden administration, the EPA has pursued a focus on replacing this outdated infrastructure, and is seeking a significant amount of funding based on this recent assessment.
“Based on their findings, the EPA estimated that the nation will need $625 billion to revamp drinking water infrastructure, a 32% increase from the estimate determined in their last assessment four years prior,” according to CBS News. “In all, $6.5 billion will be provided to states for drinking water infrastructure upgrades, the White House said, with nearly $3 billion of that money going to ‘lead service line identification and replacement.’”
The initial federal investment will be accessed through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, part of the administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And in some parts of the country, it is expected to address dire water systems problems.
“Florida will get $376,162,000 … $254,788,000 of which will go toward lead pipe removal for 2023,” per WUSF. “It comes as Florida has emerged as the state with the most lead service lines in the nation with 1,159,300, according to survey results.”
To read more about how water systems across the country manage their buried infrastructure, visit Water Online’s Asset Management Solutions Center.