{"id":11616,"date":"2023-04-21T13:41:33","date_gmt":"2023-04-21T18:41:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/?p=11616"},"modified":"2025-12-09T13:43:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T18:43:50","slug":"epa-changes-who-gets-the-biggest-share-of-the-funding-pie-for-lead-pipe-replacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/2023\/04\/21\/epa-changes-who-gets-the-biggest-share-of-the-funding-pie-for-lead-pipe-replacement\/","title":{"rendered":"Lead Pipe Replacement: EPA changes state shares of funding"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lindsay McCormick<\/em><\/a>, Senior Manager, Safer Chemicals, <\/em>Tom Neltner<\/em><\/a>, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals and<\/em>\u00a0Roya Alkafaji<\/a>, Manager, Healthy Communities<\/em><\/p>\n

What Happened?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Earlier this month, EPA announced<\/a> an updated formula it will use to allocate federal funds for lead service line (LSL) replacements. This new formula will be based on each state\u2019s expected needs, as determined by a 2021 survey of state and water utility estimates.<\/p>\n

Why It Matters<\/strong><\/h3>\n

EPA\u2019s distribution of the first of five years of the historic $15 billion dedicated to LSL replacement from the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act (IIJA) was not necessarily going to states and communities that needed it most.<\/p>\n

Many water utilities rely on the State Revolving Fund<\/a> (SRF) program to build and maintain their drinking water infrastructure. EPA funds SRF programs each year and their previous formula to determine allocations was based on a 2015 survey<\/a> of estimated drinking water infrastructure funding needs including LSL replacement \u2013 putting populous states like California at the top of the list. However, a 2016 article<\/a> by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) showed LSLs are most heavily concentrated in the Midwest and Northeast, in states like Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and New Jersey.<\/p>\n

With EPA\u2019s new formula, each state\u2019s need, based on its estimated number of LSLs, will be used to distribute the next four years of IIJA funding for LSL replacement. This is a critical step to ensure that the system for distributing federal funds is functioning equitably and funds go to those communities with the greatest needs.<\/p>\n

Projected Number of Lead Services Lines by State–2023<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Source: EPA 7th<\/sup> Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But wait\u2026what\u2019s going on in Florida and Texas?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When we dug into the details, there was one surprise in particular. Florida\u2019s level of funding has increased a whopping 228%<\/em>, based on a new estimate that the state has 1.2 million LSLs \u2013 more than any other state \u2013 and that about one in every six of its service lines is an LSL. Based on the age of infrastructure in the state, we think that this number is a gross overestimate. If we\u2019re right, other states will get shorted on their share of LSL-replacement funding.<\/p>\n

At first blush, data from Texas also caught our eye. The state reported almost 650,000 LSLs \u2013 up from 270,000 in the AWWA survey. But in contrast to Florida, this means Texas is claiming that only 5% of all its services lines are LSLs. Overall, Texas\u2019 funding under the new formula will decrease by one-third.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Next?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Starting this federal fiscal year (October 1, 2023), states will receive their new allocations of IIJA funding for LSL replacement. We\u2019ll continue to monitor the funding flowing into each state for the critical task of getting the lead out, especially in communities that need it most. For states like Florida that may be in line for more than their fair share, we\u2019ll be monitoring where those dollars are going.<\/p>\n

Want to learn more?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Check out EPA\u2019s detailed factsheet: 7th<\/sup> Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lindsay McCormick, Senior Manager, Safer Chemicals, Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals and\u00a0Roya Alkafaji, Manager, Healthy Communities What Happened? Earlier this month, EPA announced an updated formula it will use to allocate federal funds for lead service line (LSL) replacements. This new formula will be based on each state\u2019s expected needs, as determined by a …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152912,"featured_media":11617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[114035,39263],"tags":[104,68,39158,91754,91857,91787],"coauthors":[114052],"class_list":["post-11616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mapping-lead","category-public-health","tag-drinking-water","tag-epa","tag-lead","tag-lead-in-drinking-water","tag-lead-service-line-replacement","tag-lead-service-lines"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t