EPA awards $58 million to help schools, day care centers remove lead from drinking water

The Biden administration on Monday awarded $58 million in grants to help schools and daycare centers remove lead from drinking water. The announcement came during an event in Boston.

"I am excited to join local leaders in Boston to announce $58 million in grant funding that can be used to test for lead in drinking water, identify potential sources, and remove those sources to better protect our nation's children," EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox said in an agency news release. "Reducing lead in drinking water is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration and EPA is taking a holistic approach—harmonizing drinking water standards with historic infrastructure investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while providing technical assistance to disadvantaged communities to protect all our children from lead in drinking water."

The grants will help test for lead in drinking water, identify sources of contamination, and help fix the problem, Fox said.

"During his first year in office, President Biden announced a bold plan to replace every lead pipe in America. Today's announcement is another step toward making that vision a reality," House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark said in the EPA news release. "Schools and child care centers across the country will have the resources to ensure students are safe to learn, play, and grow alongside their friends."

Lead in water is a serious problem throughout the United States. According to the EPA, lead can cause brain damage, and no amount of lead is safe for children.

The Biden administration's goal is to remove all of the nation's lead water pipes. The $15 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for lead pipe removal will help, but it is not enough, the Associated Press reported. This includes installing and replacing lead pipes or connectors in faucets, water fountains, and water stations with lead-free parts.