Mountain State Will Receive Federal Dollars To Reduce Lead Exposure In Drinking Water  

Lead pipes will be replaced statewide with more than $27 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  

Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that is especially harmful to children.  Each lead pipe removed and replaced delivers real, tangible human health benefits in communities, according to the EPA.  

“Protecting communities from lead exposure and ensuring families have safe drinking water is core to EPA’s mission,” EPA Region 3 Administrator Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey said in a press release. “This funding will help states and local water systems across the Mid-Atlantic replace lead service lines, strengthen critical water infrastructure, and deliver lasting public health benefits for families across the region.” 

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

Lead lines remain common throughout the state. A recent change to an EPA rule requires public water systems to inventory all service lines to reduce levels of lead and copper in drinking water.  

Lead pipe removal efforts in recent years have focused on communities like Clarksburg, where in 2021, thousands of residents received water filters after tests showed elevated levels of lead in their drinking water.