Today, May 20th, EPA announced nearly $2.9 billion in funding to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that is especially harmful to children. This investment will go directly to states through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).
This funding will advance state and local efforts to find and replace lead pipes (also known as lead service lines) that deliver water to homes. Communities can use these funds for identifying lead pipes, planning removal projects, and funding replacement of these lead service lines. Each lead pipe removed and replaced delivers real, tangible public health benefits in communities across our nation.
EPA also announced the redistribution of an additional $18.7 million in previously announced DWSRF funding to address lead. These funds were made available to states but have not been used. Consistent with the Safe Drinking Water Act’s directive to reallocate unused funds, these investments are now available to different eligible states with lead service line replacement needs.
The FY2026 Lead Service Line Replacement allotments and the reallotments are available on the DWSRF Webpage.