Biden-Harris EPA Announces Partnership with Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority to Get the Lead Out of Drinking Water
Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda, Ypsilanti is joining communities across the country to accelerate replacement of lead service lines
CHICAGO (Aug. 8, 2024) – Today, at an event in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott announced a collaboration with Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority as part of EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative. This partnership will help identify legacy lead pipes that connect homes’ drinking water and accelerate lead pipe replacements to protect public health. EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative will provide technical assistance to approximately 200 communities nationwide.
“The science is clear, there is no safe level of lead and protecting children and families from lead exposure is at the top of EPA’s priority list,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. “I am thrilled to be in Ypsilanti today to meet the local workforce that is identifying and replacing lead pipes in the community. Through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Agenda, EPA is strengthening communities across the country by protecting drinking water and upgrading wastewater management while creating good-paying jobs and supporting economic opportunity.”
In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function, and cancer. In children, it can severely harm mental and physical development, slowing down learning, and irreversibly damaging the brain. EPA is taking a comprehensive approach to getting the lead out of drinking water, using our statutory authority under the Safe Drinking Water Act, historic funding for water projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, technical assistance for underserved communities, and practical implementation tools to help local municipalities.
The Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $15 billion to replace lead pipes, including nearly $62 million for Michigan just this year alone. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also allocated another $11.7 billion to the General Supplemental Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which can be used for lead pipe replacement. However, many underserved communities lack the resources to plan for lead pipe replacement and access federal investments. Technical assistance provided through the Get the Lead Out Initiative will help ensure that no community is left behind in the opportunity to replace lead pipes.
“Clean water is a basic human right. Here in Michigan especially, we know all too well the importance of access to clean water and sanitation, and how hard we must work to protect it,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell. “I thank the EPA and Biden-Harris Administration for their continued commitment to get the lead out of every pipe in America, and Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority for their partnership and work in this effort. In the wealthiest nation on earth, there should not be a single family without clean and safe water, and I will continue to work with our federal, state, and local governments to see this through.”
“YCUA appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with EPA on the GLO initiative which will accelerate our goal of 100% lead-free pipes,” said Yypsilanti Community Utilities Authority Executive Director Luther Blackburn.
Under the Get the Lead Out Initiative, EPA will support the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority in identifying lead pipes, developing lead service line replacement plans, increasing community outreach and education efforts, and applying for funding. Communities wishing to receive assistance with lead service line replacement can request assistance by completing the WaterTA request form on EPA’s WaterTA website.
Background:
Signed in 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided a historic $50 billion investment in water and wastewater infrastructure, dedicating more than $15 billion to replacing lead service lines and another $11.7 billion to the General Supplemental Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which can be used for lead pipe replacement. EPA is committed to ensuring every community, particularly underserved and disadvantaged communities, can access their fair share of this unprecedented investment through a robust portfolio of Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) programs, such as the Get the Lead Out Initiative.
Under the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions, all public water utilities are required to prepare and maintain an inventory of service line materials by October 16, 2024, or sooner if required by the state agency. This inventory would be publicly accessible. As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government effort to tackle lead exposure, EPA will help communities remove the barriers to lead pipe removal. Working collaboratively, EPA is advancing the President’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution are protected. Lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families.
EPA is committed to providing meaningful opportunities for community and state support through peer exchange and learning. Through the Get the Lead Out Initiative, EPA will develop tools and case studies to share information and best practices between the agency, state and Tribal programs, water system managers, and community leaders.