$58M in federal grants aim to help schools, day care centers remove lead from drinking water

BOSTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced $58 million in grants to help schools and day care centers remove lead from drinking water during an event in Boston on Monday.

The grants will help local communities test for lead in drinking water, identify potential sources of the contamination, and take steps to address the problem, said Radhika Fox, the Environmental Protection Agency’s assistant administrator for water.

“Reducing lead in drinking water is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration,” Fox said. That includes providing technical assistance to disadvantaged communities to protect children from lead in drinking water, she said.

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Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the grant money will help create “lasting, resilient water systems.”

“Massachusetts students and families will rest easier knowing that the water in our schools is safe and free of dangerous toxins like lead,” the Democrat said.

Lead in water remains a vexing problem nationwide. Lead can cause brain damage and the EPA says no amount is safe for children.

The Biden administration has set a goal to remove all of the country’s lead water pipes. The $15 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for lead pipe work will significantly help, but it won’t be enough to solve the problem.

The EPA is also outlining new authority provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund activities that remove sources of lead in drinking water.

They include actions aimed at the removal, installation and replacement of internal plumbing, lead pipes or lead connectors, faucets, water fountains, water filler stations, point-of-use devices, and other lead-free apparatus related to drinking water.