Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

CHICAGO — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a collaboration with the City of Dowagiac to help identify lead pipes that are used to deliver drinking water and accelerate their replacement to protect public health. 

Dowagiac is participating in EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative, a program funded entirely by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help move the nation towards achieving 100 percent lead service line replacement. The Get the Lead Out Initiative will provide technical assistance to approximately 200 communities nationwide.

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 nearly $62 million for Michigan 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.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is driving historic levels of funding to replace lead service lines in communities like Dowagiac across the country,” said Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “EPA is using every tool available, including regulation, funding, and this technical assistance initiative, to get the lead out of the nation’s drinking water once and for all.”

“Michigan knows all too well the dangers of lead pipes,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow. “This critical partnership between the EPA and Dowagiac will help identify and replace lead pipes so that families don’t have to question whether their water is safe to drink. We’re making important progress to protect our drinking water thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”

“In 2018 Michigan enacted the strictest lead and copper rules in the nation,” said Eric Oswald, Director of the Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. “We’re grateful for this federal funding that will help cities throughout the state meet these aggressive targets for lead service line removal and we’re looking forward to working with city officials and our colleagues at US EPA on the Get the Lead Out Initiative.”

“Dowagiac has a rich history and is known for having beautiful older homes. As is the case in many communities with homes built after lead pipes were banned in the ’80s, we have some of the more than 9 million lead service lines the EPA estimates exist in the United States,” said Dowagiac City Manager Kevin Anderson. “We’re proud to partner with the EPA on the GLO Initiative to help ensure our community is lead-free and continuously improve our infrastructure as we work to create tomorrow.”

Under the Get the Lead Out Initiative, EPA will support the city of Dowagiac in identifying lead pipes, developing lead service line replacement plans, increasing community outreach and education efforts, and applying for funding. As a result of these efforts, the city of Dowagiac will move quickly towards 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.