California gets $27.5 million to find and replace toxic lead pipes that deliver water to homes

California will receive $27.5 million in federal funding to identify and replace lead pipes that deliver water to homes. The funds will be provided through the California Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which supports public water systems with infrastructure projects needed to meet the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Lead is a neurotoxin, and exposure at low levels can harm children’s brain development. Although lead service line installation was banned nationwide in 1986, millions of homes still use them. In 2024, a rule required drinking water systems to replace lead pipes within 10 years. The funding is part of $2.9 billion distributed nationwide based on the estimated location of about 4 million lead service lines, and $18 million in unused state revolving fund money will be redistributed to other states.

"California will get $27.5 million in federal funding to find and replace lead pipes that deliver water to homes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this week."

"Lead is a neurotoxin, and exposure to even low levels can damage children's brains and affect their development. The installation of lead service lines was banned nationwide in 1986, but millions of homes still receive tap water through them."

"The funding will flow through California's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the agency said in a statement Wednesday. Such programs, which exist in every state, help public water systems pay for infrastructure projects to comply with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act."

"The EPA in 2024 issued a rule requiring drinking water systems nationwide to replace these pipes within 10 years. "Getting the lead out of pipes is vital to the health and prosperity of children and families in communities all across America," EPA Pacific Southwest Region Administrator Michael Martucci said in a statement Thursday."

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