EPA announces partnerships with six Massachusetts cities to accelerate replacement of lead water pipes and protect public health

EPA announces partnerships with six Massachusetts cities to accelerate replacement of lead water pipes and protect public health

Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Cities of Chelsea, Fall River, Malden, Melrose, Revere, and Taunton are joining communities across the country who are accelerating replacement of lead service lines

September 20, 2024

BOSTON (Sept. 20, 2024) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced collaborations with the Cities of Chelsea, Fall River, Malden, Melrose, Revere, and Taunton to help identify lead pipes that are used to deliver drinking water and accelerate their replacement to protect public health. These six Massachusetts cities are participating in the EPA's Get the Lead Out (GLO) Initiative, a program funded entirely by the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help move the nation toward achieving 100% lead service line replacement. The Get the Lead Out Initiative will provide technical assistance to approximately 200 communities nationwide.

"There is no safe level of lead exposure, and that's why the Biden-Harris Administration is providing funding and technical assistance to help identify and replace lead service lines in Massachusetts and around the country." said EPA Chief of Staff Dan Utech. "The Get the Lead Out Initiative is a big step towards the goal of 100% lead service line replacement in Massachusetts."

"Everyone deserves to have safe, clean water in their homes, no matter where they live or how much they earn. With today's announcement, we're helping six communities in Massachusetts accelerate the replacement of lead pipes, protecting children and families from the harmful effects of lead exposure," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This support, made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, helps to ensure that no community is left behind when it comes to accessing the resources needed to make that a reality."

Consuming lead in drinking water can cause serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to brain development in children. To protect children and families, the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $15 billion to replace lead pipes and deliver clean and safe drinking water, including over $50 million for Massachusetts just this year alone.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also allocated another $11.7 billion to the General Supplemental Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which can be used for lead pipe replacement. However, many underserved communities lack the resources to plan for lead pipe replacement and access federal investments. The technical assistance provided through the Get the Lead Out Initiative will help ensure that no community is left behind in the opportunity to replace lead pipes.

Under the Get the Lead Out Initiative, EPA will support:

• Chelsea, Mass.: Chelsea will be assisted with identifying lead pipes through the review of historical records and conducting of field verifications, which will include door-to-door service line identification and excavation work. Additionally, Chelsea will receive help developing a comprehensive lead service line replacement plan, increasing community outreach and education, and applying for funding. Community engagement efforts will include creating materials like door hangers and bill inserts, supporting public events, and offering translation services.
• Fall River, Mass.: Fall River will be supported in identifying lead pipes through a targeted field verification plan. This will involve door-to-door efforts to identify private service lines and map out high priority areas for future investigation. The city will also benefit from expanded community outreach and education, including the development of outreach materials, support for public events, and translation services to ensure wide community participation.
• Malden, Mass.: Malden will receive assistance with lead pipe identification through field verifications and door-to-door efforts to identify private service lines, along with excavation work. Additionally, Malden will also receive help developing a comprehensive community engagement plan aimed at improving outreach efforts, encouraging customer participation, and providing translation services for better community involvement.
• Melrose, Mass.: Melrose will be assisted with identifying lead pipes through field verifications, door-to-door identification efforts, and excavation work. Melrose will also be assisted in developing lead service line replacement plans and in applying for lead service line replacement funding.
• Revere, Mass.: Revere will receive support in identifying lead pipes through the development of a field verification plan and conducting excavations. Revere will also be assisted in creating a lead service line replacement plan, and community outreach by developing engagement materials, supporting public events, and offering translation services to reach as many residents as possible.
• Taunton, Mass.: Taunton will be assisted in developing a field verification plan to identify lead pipes, conducting door-to-door service line identification, and performing excavation work. Technical Assistance will also help enhance the city's community outreach and education efforts by creating engagement materials, supporting public events, and providing translation services to better serve its residents.

As a result of these efforts, the Cities of Chelsea, Fall River, Malden, Melrose, Revere, and Taunton will move quickly toward the goal of 100% lead-free pipes.

EPA estimates that there are about 9 million lead service lines still in use across the country. Communities wishing to receive assistance with lead service line replacement can request assistance by completing the WaterTA request form on EPA's WaterTA website.

What They Are Saying:

"Access to clean, safe drinking water is a basic human right. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we're going to keep children and families safe by finding and replacing nearly 200,000 lead pipes across the Commonwealth, including in Chelsea, Fall River, Malden, Melrose, Revere, and Taunton," said U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren.

"It's simple: every Massachusetts resident-regardless of their zip code-deserves access to safe, clean drinking water in their home, school, and place of work," said U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey. "I am proud to have fought for the funding in the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that made the Get the Lead Out Initiative possible, and I won't stop fighting until all Massachusetts communities with old building stock have achieved 100% lead service line replacement."

"Ensuring that all Massachusetts residents, particularly those in historically underserved and vulnerable communities, have access to clean, safe drinking water is a fundamental part of our commitment to environmental justice. Technical assistance to inventory and remove lead service lines, empowers communities to take immediate action in safeguarding public health and advancing environmental justice. This is a vital step toward addressing the longstanding disparities in infrastructure investment, and we are proud to join local leaders and our federal partners to create healthier, lead-free environments for all," said María Belén Power, Undersecretary of Environmental Justice & Equity, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

"Lead in drinking water is a significant public health risk with potentially severe consequences, especially for sensitive and vulnerable groups like children. While we've made great progress in replacing old lead pipes in Massachusetts, more work remains," said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "This support from the EPA is helping us prioritize critical infrastructure upgrades and ensure that residents - regardless of their zip code - have access to safe, clean water."

"We are extremely grateful Chelsea has been selected to receive vital support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expedite the identification of lead pipes within our community," said Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez. "Chelsea takes pride in being an early adopter of a comprehensive lead pipe replacement policy and has made notable strides in advancing this important initiative. The EPA's contribution represents a significant boost for a city of our size, and we are eager to collaborate with federal partners to strengthen our efforts and ensure all residents have access to clean and safe drinking water."

"This funding has allowed the City of Fall River to remove over 750 lead water services in the past year and a half as well as to verify that over 4000 homes have non lead water services. As a city we have more to do that is why this partnership and support is vital to ensure that all residents have safe and clean drinking water in their homes" said Mayor Paul Coogan, Fall River.

"We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which affords Malden the opportunity to participate in the EPA's Get the Lead Out Initiative," said Mayor Gary Christenson, Malden. "The assistance we will receive to identify lead service lines and educate residents of the significant health hazard is critical in making sure that everyone in our community has clean, safe drinking water. We also thank EPA for their collaboration in these efforts. It is these partnerships that will create healthier and safer environments for our residents."

"The technical assistance provided by the GLO program has provided a much-needed service to the city at no cost at a time when municipal budgets are severely limited," said Mayor Jen Grigoraitis, Melrose. "We're extremely grateful for the big impact of the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as we continue to remove lead service lines from our community."

"The City of Revere is committed to providing our residents with the safe, high quality drinking water they have always known and enjoyed. Our DPW teams have been working for the past several years to inventory every service line in the city -- identifying and replacing lines with traces of lead at no cost to homeowners. We are taking an aggressive approach to our goal of 100% lead free and are grateful to have the EPA as partners in accelerating our progress with critical additional resources. This work is a great example of partnership across local, state and federal government to provide our residents with the services they deserve," said Mayor Patrick M. Keefe Jr., Revere.

"Providing safe drinking water is a top priority for the City of Taunton. With support from the EPA's Get the Lead Out Initiative, we can move forward more quickly in identifying and replacing lead service lines, ensuring the health and well-being of our residents. This vital funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allows us to take meaningful steps toward a lead-free future," said Mayor Shaunna O'Connell, Taunton.

"GreenRoots has been working collaboratively with the City of Chelsea, partners like Clean Water Action to ensure that every family in Chelsea has access to safe, healthy water. By removing lead pipes from our systems, we are not just improving water quality; we are protecting the health of our children and building a stronger community for all," said Mónica Elias-Orellana, Director of Health Equity and Mobility, GreenRoots. "Through the GLO Initiative we are taking vital steps to eliminate lead from our drinking water."

"The technical assistance offered by the EPA's Get the Lead Out Initiative reveals a deep commitment to environmental justice. Clean Water Fund has worked closely with community leaders and city officials in Malden and Chelsea to ensure that education and resources for lead service line replacement reach every member of the community," said Kiera Alventosa, Environmental Health Officer, Clean Water Action.

Background:

Signed in 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided a historic $50 billion investment in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, dedicating more than $15 billion to replacing lead service lines and another $11.7 billion to the General Supplemental Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. EPA is committed to ensuring every community, particularly underserved and disadvantaged communities, can access their fair share of this unprecedented investment through a robust portfolio of Water Technical Assistance (WaterTA) programs, such as the Get the Lead Out Initiative.

As part of the Administration's whole-of-government effort to tackle lead exposure, EPA will help communities remove the barriers to lead pipe replacement. Through GLO, EPA will develop tools and case studies to share information and best practices between the agency, state and Tribal programs, water system managers, and community leaders.

More Information:

For help on identifying lead service lines in your home, check out EPA's Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead, an online step-by-step guide. The guide also provides tips on actions to reduce lead exposure in drinking water, information on certified laboratories for water testing, and resources to learn more.

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