President Joe Biden announced Thursday $3 billion toward identifying and replacing the nation’s unsafe lead pipes, a long-sought move to improve public health and clean drinking water that will be paid for by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Biden unveiled the new funding in North Carolina, a battleground state Democrats have lost to Donald Trump in the past two presidential elections but are feeling more bullish toward due to an abortion measure on the state’s ballot this November.

The Environmental Protection Agency will invest $3 billion in the lead pipe effort annually through 2026, Administrator Michael Regan told reporters. He said that nearly 50% of the funding will go to disadvantaged communities – and a fact sheet from the Biden administration noted that “lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families.”

  • @givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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    32 months ago

    install a RO drinking water

    People will get one for their whole house, which is great unless your home has leaded pipes…

    It sounds like something people would think of, but they often don’t.

    If your house has leaded pipes, you can get a small RO either by your sink, or before the hose that connects to your fridge is a better plan. It doesn’t have to be by your fridge, it can be where the hose meets pipe which is usually out of the way.

    The real solution is replacing the piping, but that shits gets expensive.

    A small RO to your fridge is doable even when renting, and if you get tests done and it’s high, some landlords would pay it just to show they’re not liable and did something to address the issue if it’s high.

    • bluGill
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      22 months ago

      A whole house ro filter is evpensive, so I doubt most will install one vs a drinking water system. Most plumbers won’t know about a whole house system much less sell one.

      unless you live in an area where the water is so bad your showers dosen’t get you clean. Then you can get one - but you should have one.

      • @givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        12 months ago

        Because of urban sprawl lots of homes in cities have wells still.

        House built in the 40s before city water had expanded can still be on a well, and septic tanks.

        Like lead pipes it’s something that just never got updated.

        Although because of the risk of old septic tanks collapsing, some cities have programs where if you hook up the to city services for switching and filling in the septic can get spread over like 20-30 years as an add on to your water bill.

        • bluGill
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          12 months ago

          there is normally nothing wrong with well water. I have lab reports on my current well to prove it.