The White House is providing $6.5 billion to improve the drinking water infrastructure for all states, tribes, and territories in the United States. These funds will primarily go into removing or replacing all of the nation’s lead pipe service lines over the next decade.

Wendi Wilkes, EPA’s Office of Water Senior Advisor, ensured during a press conference that the states with the greatest need will receive the yearly funds required for removal. Of the 9.2 million homes in the U.S. getting water through lead pipes, 1.16 million of them are in Florida – accounting for nearly 12% of all the lead pipes in the country. Data from a 2023 EPA survey found 1,159,300 lead service lines in Florida, a staggering number compared to a 2021 estimate made by the Natural Resources Defense Council of about 200,000 lead service lines.

Once in someone’s system, lead is distributed to the brain, liver, kidney and bones. It can damage the nervous system, slow growth and development, cause hearing and speech problems, lower IQ, cause birth defects, and has a number of other negative effects. “The science is clear: There is no safe level of exposure to lead,” said Bruno Pigott, the acting Assistant Administrator for Water, in a news release from the EPA. To combat this risk, another $26 million was added to the funding specifically for schools and childcare facilities to reduce lead exposure among children.

According to the Biden Administration, many low-income areas and communities of color still rely on lead pipes because they often do not receive the investment required for infrastructure developments. The EPA has dedicated $15 billion to assist low-income communities in developing and executing lead pipe replacement projects. With these efforts, the state of Florida will gain access to higher quality water and a healthier future.