Massachusetts to protect children from lead drinking water with $1.3 million federal funding

(WO) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced $26 million in funding, including $1,285,000 allotted for Massachusetts, to protect children from lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities.

"Every person, every child, deserves safe and clean drinking water. As students, staff, and teachers start returning to classrooms across New England, no one should have to worry whether the water their loved one drinks at school or daycare is safe," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "

“Coupled with the historic $15 billion investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to identify and replace lead pipes, we're working together with our partners to protect the health of our communities and to ensure a future for all of our children that is safe and lead-free."

"To ensure our kids get to the front of the class, we need to make sure our schools and childcare facilities are free from toxic substances like lead," said U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey. "Our children deserve safe, lead-free drinking water to power and protect their brains and help them thrive."

In children, lead can severely harm mental and physical development, slowing down learning, and irreversibly damaging the brain. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function, and cancer.

The funding announced this past week was authorized by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and is provided to 55 states, the District of Columbia, and participating territories as grants for lead testing and remediation in schools and childcare facilities.

Since 2019, the Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Granthas provided over $150 million in funding to conduct testing and removal of lead sources in drinking water in schools and childcare facilities across the United States.

The grant program requires recipients to use the 3Ts – Training, Testing and Taking Action – to reduce lead in drinking water. The 3Ts Program provides valuable resources for states, territories, and Tribes to take action on lead and protect children in early care and educational settings. Learn more about the 3Ts Program.

EPA is also advancing its Get the Lead Out (GLO) initiative, which is partnering with underserved communities nationwide to provide the technical assistance they need to identify and remove lead service lines. GLO is specifically helping participating communities identify lead services lines, develop replacement plans, and apply for funding to get the lead out.

 

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