New Delhi: The Biden administration announced on Thursday that $3 billion in federal funding will be used to replace toxic lead water pipes across the country.
The funding will be used to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes and is part of a broader plan to invest $50 billion to upgrade the nation’s water infrastructure, the White House said in a statement.
Lead pipes are particularly harmful to children and babies, and can cause lifelong damage.
The White House said that lead exposure disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color, and that decades of inequitable infrastructure development and underinvestment have contributed to the high levels of lead exposure in some parts of the country.
The Environmental Protection Agency will administer the $3 billion in federal funding, and will work closely with state and local governments to identify and replace lead pipes.
The EPA is also partnering with over 40 communities across the country to provide technical assistance and support in replacing lead pipes.
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