The EPA estimates that nine million homes in the U.S. have lead pipes.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – President Biden is set to announce $2.6 billion in funding to replace all lead pipes in the United States as part of a that will require lead pipes to be identified and replaced within 10 years using the new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
The EPA estimates that nine million homes in the U.S. have lead pipes.
The city of Milwaukee, where Mr. Biden will make the announcement, has 65,000 lead pipes, which the city says will cost an estimated $700 million to remove.
„The science has been clear for decades. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water“, EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters on Monday.
The final rule will require better lead testing requirements and mandating a complete inventory of lead water pipes. The $2.6 billion is the latest disbursement by the Biden administration for lead pipes in the $50 billion from the 2021 infrastructure law for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
Legal challenges could arise but a senior administration official believes the ruling is within the EPA’s „statutory authority“ and on solid legal footing.
Mr. Biden’s visit comes amid a flurry of stops to the swing state of Wisconsin by both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Mr. Biden’s last visit was nearly a month ago to Westly, Wisconsin for an announcement on providing electricity to rural America.
