Michigan to receive $62 million from EPA to replace lead pipes
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the state of Michigan will get nearly $62 million in federal funding this year to continue lead pipe replacement projects.
EPA proposes requiring lead water pipes to be replaced in 10 years
It is part of the $3 billion allocated for 2024 in the latest infrastructure package and the White House’s “Investing in America” agenda.
“The science is clear, there is no safe level of lead exposure and the primary source of harmful exposure in drinking water is through lead pipes,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement.
The 2021 law dedicated $15 billion for lead pipe removal.
As of April 2023, the EPA estimated there were still more than 9 million lead service lines that carry water into homes across the country. Florida had the most, and industrial states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania also have lots of lead pipes.
In a first, EPA survey puts a number on lead pipes around US
The Flint water crisis, which first made headlines 10 years ago, shined a spotlight on the adverse health impacts related to lead pipes and illustrated how widespread the problem could be.
Michigan will receive $61,916,000 this year. The state received $72,881,000 last year, according to The Detroit News.
The EPA is also working on passing new regulations, including a proposal that would lower the drinking water safety level for lead from 15 parts per billion to 10 ppb, and one that would require all municipal water systems to replace lead service lines within 10 years.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
