Mich. to receive $62 million for lead pipe replacements this year, EPA announces

Washington — Michigan will receive about $62 million in federal funds for lead pipe replacements, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday.

The funds are part of the latest round of lead service line replacement allotments for states from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which passed in 2021.

“The science is clear, there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the primary source of harmful exposure in drinking water is through lead pipes,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said. “President Biden understands it is critical to identify and remove lead pipes as quickly as possible."

Lead leaching from pipes into drinking water is an issue nationwide, though it is especially salient in Michigan, where the Flint water crisis became an infamous example of government failing to protect people from environmental health hazards.

Last week marked the 10-year anniversary of the start of the Flint water crisis, which began when the city began using improperly treated water from the Flint River for its drinking water source after decades of using Detroit's Lake Huron-fed water system.

More:'We're on our own': Flint marks 10-year water anniversary with frustration, sober resolve

The water corroded lead pipes throughout the city, and lead spread into drinking water. The city has completed more than 10,000 lead service line replacements, but some lead lines remain.

Biden administration officials said there is no funding specifically for Flint in the new allotment, but the state of Michigan can direct funds as it sees fit.

More specifically, water providers can apply for funds in the form of low-interest loans from the state.

Michigan received $72,881,000 last year for lead service line replacements from the same funding source, the EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

The Biden administration also announced that its allotment for lead service line replacements this year will total $3 billion nationwide.

President Joe Biden is expected to deliver remarks later today in Wilmington, North Carolina, about the funding and the administration's efforts in eliminating lead in drinking water.

As part of that effort, the EPA proposed a rule in November 2023 that would lower the level of lead in water requiring abatement from 15 parts per billion to 10 ppb.

The rule also would require water systems to replace lead service lines within 10 years.

gschwab@detroitnews.com

@GrantSchwab