The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its most accurate count yet on how many lead pipes carry water into homes across the United States. According to an EPA survey released Tuesday, April 4, that number 9.2 million.
Florida has the most lead pipes at 1.16 million. Rounding out the top five states with the most pipes are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
The Biden administration has set a goal to remove all of the country’s lead water pipes. If lead from pipes were to get into the water traveling through them, anyone drinking that water could be at risk for brain damage.
According to the EPA, no amount of lead is safe for children. Along with the release of the survey, the EPA announced $6.5 billion to upgrade drinking water infrastructure across the country.
“Every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to revitalize America’s drinking water systems, support the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of removing 100% of lead pipes across our country, and protect communities from PFAS pollution.”
In March, the EPA proposed what would be the first national drinking water standard for per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.”
