Overview
- The EPA has started sending roughly $2.9 billion to states through Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to find and replace an estimated 4 million remaining lead service lines.
- California was awarded $27.5 million to its Drinking Water SRF and Wisconsin received $94.3 million to be routed through the state DNR, with Iowa also granted $46 million to support local replacements.
- The agency will also reallocate $18 million in previously unused SRF money to additional states to support more replacement work.
- Officials warn major hurdles remain because many lead lines are buried, per-line replacement costs are commonly $5,000–$10,000, and some states lack the workforce and records to finish work quickly.
- Local efforts that used home inspections, old utility records and resident outreach show how projects succeed but analysts say full removal in some places could still take years or decades despite the new funding.