The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will provide more than $6.5 billion in infrastructure funds to improve the safety of the nation’s drinking water, including $800 million to help address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, the agency said on April 4.
The EPA will distribute the funds to states, tribes and territories for essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades via the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, an EPA financial assistance program to help regional water systems meet Safe Drinking Water Act objectives.
Another $3 billion in funding will be allocated toward lead service line identification and replacement, according to the news release.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced the planned investment during President Biden’s Investing in America tour stop in Rockford, Illinois.
“Every community deserves access to safe, clean drinking water,” Regan said. “Thanks to President Biden’s historic infrastructure investments in America, 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.” President Biden plans to invest more than $50 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country between 2022 and 2026 as part of his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
On March 14, the EPA announced a proposal to limit the allowable amount of PFAS in drinking water. The proposal calls for a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation to establish legally enforceable levels, called maximum contaminant levels (MCLs), for six PFAS known to occur in drinking water. The six PFAS are PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX chemicals. An MCL protects public health by setting a maximum level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water that can be delivered to users of a public water system, according to the EPA.
