EPA Estimates More Than 50,000 Lead Pipes Remain in Kansas

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced earlier this week that $66.1 million will be sent out to Kansas communities for essential drinking water infrastructure upgrades. 

The EPA estimates that the state has more than 54,000 lead service pipes that carry drinking water to Kansans. New lead pipes were banned more than 30 years ago in an effort to combat lead poisoning. Exposure to the heavy metal can seriously damage children's health, potentially leading to damage to the brain and nervous system, behavioral problems, slowed growth and development, and more according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The $66.1 million that Kansas will receive in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to ensure that Kansans have access to clean drinking water," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister.

The funding comes from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), which is part of a $6 billion bipartisan infrastructure law. The allotment of funding to individual states is determined on results from an EPA survey regarding water infrastructure. It's required by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, which assesses the nation's public water systems' infrastructure needs every four years.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is ultimately investing $50 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure improvements across the country between 2022 and 2026. That funding will be used for lead serve line identification and improvement, combatting polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other harmful contaminants, and other critical drinking water improvements. 

SitePro partners with cities and rural water operations of all sizes to help safely manage their critical infrastructure. If you have any questions about how to utilize SitePro to address water quality issues, and how to use funding like this to pay for updated infrastructure technology, give us a call at 806-687-5326.