On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced $40.5 million in newly available drinking water infrastructure funding for Missouri through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding will support lead pipe replacement and inventory projects.
The funding is in addition to a final rule issued by the Biden Administration requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years.
According to a news release from the EPA, this newly finalized rule implements a few key changes. In addition to identifying and replacing all lead pipes in the U.S., the EPA is requiring more rigorous testing of drinking water.
The new rule not only emphasizes physical action to ensure lead-free drinking water but also prioritizes community education. This improved communication helps to better protect and inform families across the U.S. about the risks of lead in water, the location of lead pipes and the pipe replacement plans.
The EPA specifies that 49% of the funding must go toward disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal forgiveness that does not have to be paid back.
It’s estimated that 9 million homes across the country are receiving their drinking water through outdated lead pipes, many of which are located in low-income communities and communities of color, according to the release.
This issue is an important component of the Biden Administration’s commitment to the program, especially in regard to the basic health and safety of all Americans.
In a positive light for mid-Missouri residents, the city of Columbia Utilities has been ahead of the game in lead pipe identification.
“The work that we have been doing to do the initial inventory of our system is complete, and all that information has been submitted to the state,” said Steve Hunt, assistant director of the utilities department. “We have not found any lead service lines. We still have a few water service lines that we couldn’t identify the material types for, so there currently is an unknown status, and we’re working through that list.”
The department’s focus now with the funding that is left over from working through the unidentified list is to inform the Columbia community about the progress and effects of lead in water.
“We’re working on kind of a pretty inclusive story map type application that can go into several things,” Hunt said.
This story map will include the health effects of lead, a map of all meter locations, their services, and more resources.
While Columbia has been making strides toward providing its residents with lead-free water, the U.S. as a whole is still lacking in providing safe water.
“For generations, lead in our water has jeopardized the health of our children and most vulnerable Americans,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan McCollister. “With these rule improvements and funding, now is the time to get the lead out.”
