The Biden Admin wants to replace all lead water pipes in the United States. This was revealed by the U.S. government confirming this effort on Thursday, Nov. 30.
It proposed a new plan that will require drinking water pipes that contain lead to be replaced by new ones within 10 years. When Joe Biden became the U.S. president, he already promised to overhaul lead pipes.
He wanted to do this in the wake of the water contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan, which exposed hundreds of thousands of Americans at risk of health issues.
However, the latest lead water pipe replacement proposal will be very expensive. Here are its other details.
Biden Admin's Wants to Replace All Lead Water Pipes in US Within 10 Years
According to Fox Business' latest report, almost 100,000 Americans were exposed to elevated lead levels in 2014 because Michigan changed its water supply.
This caused lead water pipes to corrode; contaminating the drinking water in the city. U.S. President Joe Biden doesn't want to repeat this alarming drinking water crisis.
This is why the Biden Administration decided to introduce its proposal to completely replace lead drinking water pipes in the U.S. Officials said that this effort would enhance the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule.
Aside from this, it would also allocate $15 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This budget will be used to replace lead service lines in water systems across the United States.
However, the billion-dollar budget that will come from the federal government is just half of what is needed for the lead pipe overhaul. Forbes reported that the latest proposed effort of the Biden Admin could cost between $20 and $30 billion over 10 years.
This means that the remaining costs will be settled by utility companies and customers. With these details, there's a chance that drinking water could become more expensive once the lead water pipe overhaul begins.
Read also: EPA Takes Bold Action: Strengthening Lead Protections in Drinking Water Post-Flint Crisis
Will U.S. Lead Water Pipe Overhaul Really Happen?
Before the latest proposal of the Biden Admin starts, U.S. government officials should first agree to it. However, the Associated Press recently reported that some states already declined this effort.
These include Maine, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. This is because they are not ready to pay for lead removal projects. Aside from this, finding lead water pipes is also a complicated operation.
Communities are also hesitant to take out loans to search for their lead pipes. However, Natural Resources Defense Council food expert Erik Olson said that U.S. states should not reject replacing lead water pipes.
"It's troubling that a state would decide to take a complete pass on the funding because part of the reason for the funding is to figure out whether you even have lead," he explained.
