15 billion of federal money from the Infrastructure bill will go to funding a project that would replace all old lead water pipes across the country.
While early EPA bans on leaded gasoline and lead paint dramatically reduced the burden of lead poisoning in the nation, old lead water service lines can leach the toxic metal into the water supply, creating a particular danger to young children, reports Good News Network.
“The American Jobs Plan creates jobs replacing 100% of the nation’s lead pipes and service lines so every American, so every child – can turn on the faucet and be certain to drink clean water,” says Michael Regan, Administrator of the EPA.
According to The Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan Fact Sheet, up to 10 million American households connect to water through lead pipes and service lines. Children, toddlers, and teenagers in 400,000 schools and child care facilities are at risk of exposure to lead in their water. And 24 million housing units have significant lead-based paint hazards.
Health experts widely agree that there is no known “safe” blood lead concentration. And as long as lead water pipes remain in service, children and families are vulnerable, writes PBS.
With lead poisoning being a major public health problem, it is past time for an administration to make this a priority and gets healthy and clean drinking water to the nation.
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