Texas will receive $198.5 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reinforce statewide drinking water infrastructure for Fiscal Year 2025. The Texas Water Development Board will distribute the funds to help replace lead pipes across the state.
The EPA recently approved a final ruling requiring nationwide replacement of legacy lead pipes within the next decade. The agency will also allocate $2.6 billion to support the initiative and state efforts to identify and replace lead pipes.
Texas’ anticipated funding share will predominantly affect communities disproportionately affected by outdated lead pipe infrastructure. The state will allocate 49% of the funds – approximately $97.3 million - to disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal forgiveness they won’t have to repay. Texas will receive the second-largest apportionment behind California’s $268.6 million share.
Texas will extensively inventory its water system service to identify where lead pipes are located. The updated ruling requires all regulated water systems to continually update their inventories and create a service line replacement plan. These strategies will prioritize replacement depending on which communities have been most heavily impacted by contaminated pipelines. The water systems will make all inventories and plans publicly available.
The final ruling implements best practice changes to improve drinking water sampling requirements. The rule also lowers the threshold enforcing authorities to take action when lead sampling exceeds a certain level of safety. All water systems that have exceeded this level multiple times will need to reduce drinking water lead exposure by adjusting treatment, providing consumers with filters and conducting community outreach.
The EPA is also making $35 million available to help impacted communities reduce lead in drinking water. Applicants can apply for up to $10 million for projects that improve water treatment, replace lead service lines and reduce lead exposure to children in schools and childcare facilities. Participants must submit an application by December 30, 2024. Eligible entities include:
• Community water systems.
• Tribal water systems.
• Non-transient, non-community water systems.
• Nonprofit organizations services public water systems.
• Municipalities.
• State, interstate or intermunicipal agencies.