Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia Applauds Biden-Harris Administration Final Rule to Replace Lead Pipes Within 10 Years, New Funding to Deliver Clean Drinking Water

HOUSTON, TX - Today, Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29) released the following statement in response to the Biden-Harris Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) final rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes over the next decade:

"I commend the Biden-Harris Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency for heeding the call of my colleagues and I urging them to finalize the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). This decisive action will help tackle the serious issue of lead contamination in our drinking water and will help protect the health and safety of our communities, especially in my district and across Texas.

"Lead in drinking water irreparably harms the health of children and adults and disproportionately impacts lower-income communities. This rule requires that lead pipes be located and replaced within the next 10 years, which is a crucial step toward making sure that every family, regardless of where they live, has access to clean, safe drinking water. It will also strengthen testing requirements to help prevent future harm and ensure families are informed about both the risks they face, and the steps being taken to address them. Safe drinking water should never be in question-it's a basic human right," said Congresswoman Garcia.

Alongside the LCRI, EPA announced $2.6 billion in newly available drinking water infrastructure funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Congresswoman Garcia proudly voted for. Additionally, 49% of the funding must be provided to disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal forgiveness that does not have to be repaid.

The LCRI will also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold for communities to take action on lead in drinking water to protect people from lead exposure.

In September, Congresswoman Garcia signed onto a letter with her colleagues calling on the Biden-Harris Administration to finalize the LCRI to immediately and urgently remove the estimated nine million service lines across the country that contain lead.