Federal Water Infrastructure Spending Needed
In Wisconsin could be used to replace lead service lines and improve sewerage systems.

Lead service lines replaced by the Milwaukee Water Works with corrosion control visible in pipe. Image from Milwaukee Water Works.
Wisconsinites proved our resilience in 2020. The pandemic put stress on our community, but we continued to persevere. Now, as we are starting to return to a brighter horizon, it’s time to take stock of what our priorities should be in a post-pandemic world. Clean water needs to be high on the list.
However, getting to clean water will require fixing our infrastructure. We still have billions of gallons of sewage overflows and runoff pollution contaminating where we swim. In 2019, authorities tested 61 Wisconsin beaches and found that they had potentially unsafe levels of fecal bacteria at least one day during the year. South Shore Beach in Milwaukee was potentially unsafe on 19 days, which was more than any other beach in the state.
Lead in our drinking water is an equally persistent problem. We still have an estimated 240,000 lead service lines across Wisconsin, including an estimated 70,000 in the city of Milwaukee alone. Nationwide, there are an estimated 9 million toxic pipes, but we need to do more work to identify the actual number. These toxic pipes are contaminating our water with a potent neurotoxin that damages our children’s health. They’ve got to go.
To build a better future, we need an ambitious and bold infrastructure package. President Biden and Chairman DeFazio have put out good roadmaps. If we want our lakes and beaches to be safe for swimming, then Congress should, as a start, fully fund the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants program and ramp up the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to $8 billion this year. And if we want lead-free water for our children, then we’ll need to provide the $45 billion proposed in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan to replace all the lead pipes across the country.
Finally, we need to make sure this funding is accessible to all communities, no matter their income or size. This can be done by setting aside water infrastructure funding for grants rather than loans, which would allow communities to access federal funds without fear of having to take out loans that they cannot afford to pay back.
We have a once in a generation opportunity to secure clean water for America. Let’s do it.
Congresswoman Gwen Moore has represented the 4th District in Congress since 2005. Megan Severson is the State Director of Wisconsin Environment.
More about the Lead Crisis
- MPS Will Reopen School Shuttered Because of Lead Dust - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 12th, 2025
- Trowbridge Street School Won’t Reopen Monday, to Allow More Time for Deep Cleaning of Lead Dust - Milwaukee Public Schools - Mar 7th, 2025
- Health Department Will Investigate 10 More Schools For Lead Issues - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 7th, 2025
- MKE County: County Expands Lead Abatement For Low-Income Homes - Graham Kilmer - Mar 1st, 2025
- Health Department Shutters MPS School Over Lead Concerns - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 28th, 2025
- Health Department May Shut Down Some Milwaukee Schools With High Lead Levels - Evan Casey - Feb 24th, 2025
- Alderwoman Coggs introduces file to discuss MPS lead exposure issues - Ald. Milele Coggs - Feb 20th, 2025
- Gov. Evers’ biennial state budget prioritizes clean water, clean energy, and public lands for Wisconsin - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 18th, 2025
- Gov. Evers Announces Comprehensive Plan to Ensure Clean Water for Kids and Families in 2025 Year of the Kid - Gov. Tony Evers - Feb 18th, 2025
- More Milwaukee Schools Getting Tested for High Lead Levels - Evan Casey - Feb 15th, 2025
Read more about Lead Crisis here
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