President Biden on Tuesday announced $2.6 billion in funding to replace all lead pipes in the United States as part of a new EPA rule that will require lead pipes to be identified and replaced within 10 years using the new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
The Fed isn’t earmarking the money to dig up and replace each pipe. It’s grant money for municipalities to apply for to fix their pipes. So maybe it’s gonna cost Citytown Ohio $24 million to swap their pipes. The city can issue a bond for $16 million, get a grant from the state for an additional $6 million, amd a federal grant for the remaining $2 million. Meanwhile, the federal government wont issue anymore funding for their water treatment facilities until all the lead pipes are removed. So Citytown can either get off their ass and start digging up pipes next month, or be SOL when their sewage treatment facility needs an overhaul in 8 years.