Mass. receives $50M in federal funds to remove lead service lines

Following a lobbying effort by state officials and the state’s congressional delegation, the Biden-Harris administration has awarded $50 million for Massachusetts cities and towns to help identify and replace lead service lines and prevent exposure to lead in drinking water.

The federal funding, announced on May 2, is an increase over the $33.7 million in lead service line funding allocated in fiscal 2023, though it does not satisfy the identified funding needs in Massachusetts, according to the Healey-Driscoll administration.

The administration said it will continue to work with federal, state and local agencies in order to fully fund the lead service line replacement program. Gov. Maura Healey said her office appreciates the additional funding, and is “looking forward to continued collaboration with federal partners to identify more funding avenues to build on these investments so Massachusetts can continue its nation-leading work to protect the environment and public health.”

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said cities and towns across Massachusetts now have “significantly more resources to continue plugging away at the necessary upgrades to protect the health of its residents.”

In February, Healey, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, and Treasurer Deborah Goldberg submitted a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan urging him to reconsider a new grant formula that had reduced lead service line replacement funding to Massachusetts by more than $30 million.

The letter identified Massachusetts’ unique needs for lead remediation funding based on its high percentage of housing stock from before 1940, when the use of lead in service lines was prevalent, and emphasized how the effects of this causes disproportionate lead exposure in communities of color.

Massachusetts received $65.7 million in fiscal 2022, but the EPA’s new methodology allocated just $33.7 million for 2023 and future years of the program.

The EPA gave states a one-time opportunity to submit additional data, resulting in Massachusetts’ boosted allotment of $50 million.

Massachusetts has leveraged federal Bipartisan Infrastructure money to address lead service line issues, including commitments since 2022 of more than $59 million for lead remediation projects, according to the administration. This funding has supported needs assessments and action plans in 121 Massachusetts communities and has financed $30 million in remediation projects.

Federal Funds and Infrastructure Director Quentin Palfrey thanked the Biden-Harris administration “for your commitment to removing harmful contaminants from our drinking water,” and EPA Administrator Regan “for recognizing Massachusetts’s demonstrated needs and effectiveness in using federal dollars to remediate lead contamination in our water infrastructure.”

The funding, awarded under the $3 billion Investing in America initiative, will provide significant grants through the Massachusetts Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Lead Service Line Replacement Program.

Under the Revised Lead and Copper Rule set to take effect in October, the EPA is also requiring local public water systems to investigate the number of lead service lines in their water distribution system and report those findings to the state agency that oversees drinking water – the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.