Overview
- The EPA announced Wednesday that it will distribute nearly $2.9 billion through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to help states locate and replace lead service lines.
- Illinois received the largest share at nearly $300 million, Wisconsin was allotted $94.3 million with about $46.2 million targeted to disadvantaged communities, and Minnesota was awarded $57.77 million.
- The funds come from a $15 billion set‑aside in the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, but the agency's announcement used the White House’s new branding and did not explicitly credit the law.
- Federal estimates put roughly 4 million lead service lines nationwide, including about 1.5 million in Illinois and more than 343,000 in Wisconsin, where child lead‑poisoning rates in some areas remain high.
- States must apply for smaller redistributed awards by the end of September and face a federal timetable to remove most lead lines by 2037, creating pressure on local mapping, replacement plans, and budgets through 2027.