Connecticut will be receiving $27,456,000 in federal funding from the Environmental Protection Administration to help deal with the problem of exposure to lead in drinking water. The money comes from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). By contrast, New York is due to receive $185,223,000 in DRWRF funding. A total of $2.9 billion is available.
This funding will go toward finding and replacing lead pipes that deliver water to homes. Communities can use these funds for identifying lead pipes, planning removal projects, and funding replacement of these lead service lines.
“An investment in removing lead pipes is an investment in America’s children and families,” said Jess Kramer, who is the EPA assistant administrator for water. “The Trump EPA is committed to tackling lead exposure and this $2.9 billion will help protect current and future generations across America by accelerating local efforts to find and replace toxic lead pipes.”
“Every family in New England deserves safe, clean drinking water, and tackling lead exposure remains one of the most important public health challenges we face,” said EPA New England Administrator Mark Sanborn. “New England has some of the oldest infrastructure in the country, and this funding will help communities make critical infrastructure upgrades to reduce lead exposure and protect families for generations to come.”
The EPA says it is distributing funding based on the best available information on the location of approximately 4 million lead service lines across the country.
