Grant Announced To Remove Lead From MA Drinking Water

MASSACHUSETTS — Several national political leaders gathered in Boston Monday to announce a $58 million grant from President Biden which will help all states—including Massachusetts—remove lead from drinking water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in a news release.

The grant funding comes from Biden’s Investing in America agenda and aims to protect children from lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities across the country, according to officials.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to lead can seriously harm a child's health, including damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior problems, and hearing and speech problems.

At the event, officials explained how under Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, activities that remove sources of lead in drinking water are now, for the first time, eligible to receive funding through the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act.

According to officials, these activities include removing and replacing water delivery devices that contain lead and adding lead testing and compliance monitoring.

“I am excited to join local leaders in Boston to announce $58 million in grant funding that can be used to test for lead in drinking water, identify potential sources, and remove those sources to better protect our nation’s children,” EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox said in the news release.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said that "thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Massachusetts students and families will rest easier knowing that the water in our schools is safe and free of dangerous toxins like lead."

“During his first year in office, President Biden announced a bold plan to replace every lead pipe in America," House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark added. "Today’s announcement is another step toward making that vision a reality."

According to the EPA, Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is dedicating an unprecedented $15 billion to removing lead from drinking water.

Under the Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program, the EPA allocates funds to eligible states and territories based on a formula that includes factors for population, disadvantaged communities, and lead exposure risk, officials said.