Photo courtesy of EPA

There are more than 9 million lead pipes carrying drinking water into people’s homes and other buildings, according to EPA.

Water is life, it is sacred – and we must ensure every person has equitable access to safe drinking water. 

That’s why I am pleased to see the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) require the replacement of dangerous lead pipes and service lines across the country in the next 10 years. Strong safeguards to get the lead out of our homes, schools, and workplaces are key, particularly in heavily impacted states of Wisconsin and Michigan. 

I recognize the state’s leadership in taking concrete action, such as in Edgerton – a small Wisconsin city that has replaced 100% of its known lead pipes thanks to funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Edergton joins Madison as a city that is diving headfirst into the effort to stop the flow of lead-contaminated drinking water in its tracks.

As the first city in the nation to replace all its lead pipes, Madison is a success story that demonstrates the achievability and importance of protecting our families from toxic drinking water that puts our health and futures on the line. Already, the administration has invested $200 million replacing tens of thousands of lead pipes and service lines across Wisconsin.

After the LCRI announcement of an additional $43 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure funding for Wisconsin, Milwaukee’s timeline for replacing lead pipes has accelerated from 60 years down to just 10 years – a major accomplishment for one of the most affected cities in the Badger State.

Success stories like Madison and Edgerton, along with this much needed action from the administration, have a ripple effect and give me hope that we are on the right track. However, there is more work to be done across the state to ensure the safeguards are implemented and communities reap the benefits – especially in low income communities and communities of color who are impacted the most.

There is no safe level of lead in drinking water and it has devastating health consequences, including developmental impacts in our growing children. Concerningly, Wisconsin is estimated by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to have more than 340,000 lead pipes, the 10th highest amount of any state.

While the last several years have seen more than 43,000 lead pipes and service lines be replaced or turned off, there are still tens of thousands to go. In particular, 74,099 total lead service lines have been identified in Milwaukee, with 65,000 residential service lines slated as in need of replacement. Similarly, Michigan is estimated to have 245,236 lead pipes, with at least 79,617 lead pipes estimated to be bringing contaminated water to people in Detroit – the fourth highest of any city in the US – and 24,190 lead pipes in the city of Grand Rapids. The work to replace these dangerous lead pipes can’t come soon enough.

That’s what it will take: work. We can get the lead out and boost the economy at the same time, such as the Invest in America Workforce Hub in Milwaukee, which will train and connect residents to good-paying jobs replacing lead pipelines. Local union workers praise the rewarding benefits of the job and the knowledge that they are making a difference by helping families access safe drinking water. With such a large impact on our communities, it is also critical that these workforce development programs prioritize the most vulnerable and impacted people.

From the decades-long threat of lead-contaminated drinking water to the mounting risks of toxic chemicals like PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the basic human right of access to safe drinking water is under threat – with many families unaware of the toxins flowing out of their kitchen taps. We need to take the regulation of all contaminants in our life-sustaining water seriously.

This fall, we continue our efforts to raise public awareness on the importance of safe drinking water with events like the 50th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act this month. Water is essential to everything we are and do. It is healing, it is valuable, it is energizing. Unfortunately, it has become all too easy to understand what it’s like to lose access to safe drinking water due to lead or other contaminants.

As we move forward, I am instead imagining a world where everyone has equitable access to safe, lead-free water. Thankfully, the EPA’s recent updates to the Lead and Copper Rule are a critical opportunity to spark a wave of change towards a reality in which everyone receives the strong protections that they deserve.