About a decade after the Flint water crisis, the Biden administration is requiring the removal of most of the nation’s lead-contaminated water pipes within 10 years.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a final rule that forces water systems to replace water lines containing lead within a decade. It expects that between 96 and 99 percent of systems will be able to achieve this.
Biden is also expected to tout $2.6 billion in water infrastructure funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In total, the law put $15 billion toward replacing lead lines and an additional $11.7 billion for clean water more broadly.
Both environmental groups and water providers have estimated that the total cost of replacing lead service lines could be up to $60 billion. Similarly, the EPA estimated that its rule would cost about $1.47 billion to $1.95 billion each year over a 35-year period.
Hahahaha. A decent attempt to remove the lead pipes in the American water system but this is like putting a band aid on a bullet wound!