EPA Sending Iowa $46 Million To Remove Lead Pipes And Improve Drinking Water

The EPA is providing $46,116,000 in funding to find and replace lead pipes (also known as lead service lines) that deliver water to Iowan homes. This investment will come from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).

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Communities can use these funds for identifying lead pipes, planning removal projects, and funding the replacement of these lead service lines.

How Dangerous Are Lead Pipes in Iowa?

There are an estimated 90,000 to 160,000 lead pipes still connecting homes and businesses in Iowa.

Lead poisoning from lead pipes can cause irreversible brain damage, developmental delays, and lowered IQ in children. In adults, it leads to high blood pressure, kidney damage, and reproductive issues. 

“An investment in removing lead pipes is an investment in America’s children and families,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer.

“Protecting communities from lead exposure is a regional priority,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy. “Our states will use these funds to get the lead out and improve drinking water infrastructure throughout the Heartland.”

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Providing clean, safe drinking water is a top priority under EPA’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, and reducing exposure to lead is a critical piece of ensuring clean water for all Americans.

The Drinking Water State Revolving Funds are financial assistance programs run by states to help water systems achieve the health protection objectives of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The agency is distributing funding based on the best available information on the location of approximately 4 million lead service lines across the country.

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