Biden Announces New Funds, Deadline For Lead Pipe Replacement

President Joe Biden visited Milwaukee on Oct. 8, announcing new initiatives to accelerate the replacement of lead pipes. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

During a visit to Milwaukee on Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced new funding and a significant deadline for the ongoing effort to eliminate lead from drinking water.

Addressing a crowd of approximately 200 at the city Department of Public Works field headquarters, 3850 N. 35th St., Biden highlighted $2.6 billion in additional funding for drinking water upgrades and lead pipe replacements, with an initial allocation of $43 million specifically for Wisconsin.

He also introduced a mandate from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requiring drinking water systems to replace all lead service lines by 2037, 10 years after the rule goes into effect.

“Families like yours exposed to lead poisoning in our water, they deserve a hell of a lot better,” Biden said. “Not only are we setting a priority, we’re showing how important it is to get it done.”

With Milwaukee’s signature yellow utility vehicles behind him and crowds of union workers in front, the president delivered his speech while surrounded by the key players driving the effort to replace lead pipes across the city.

“Providing what’s good for our health and environment is also good for our economy. It’s good for jobs,” he said, praising the city’s commitment to using union labor for the project.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who opened the program with brief remarks, said he’s grateful for the opportunity to “move Milwaukee forward in the best direction possible” while also confronting multiple issues with a single solution.

“Doing this is about more than just replacing lead service lines. It’s about protecting our kids,” Johnson said. “And it’s more than just even protecting our kids. It’s about creating good-paying, family-supporting careers right here in Milwaukee.”

Over the past several years, Milwaukee has received tens of millions in federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to accelerate the replacement of its lead service lines, a project originally estimated to take six decades.

The president called for increased priority on the issue, even after his time in office comes to a close. “Folks, what’s the government for if it cannot protect the public health?” He asked. “We have an obligation to make things right.”

While Biden didn’t specifically reference the project’s effect on his legacy, EPA Administrator Michael Regan did.

“Mr. President, I know you’re listening backstage, and I want you to hear me loud and clearly: building a lead free future is your legacy,” he said to resounding cheers from the crowd.

The push to replace Milwaukee’s lead service lines has become a key talking point for politicians; however, the city’s struggle with lead poisoning may not be as straightforward as previously thought.

During a Common Council committee meeting last week, leaders of Milwaukee Water Works (MWW) and Common Council members discussed the possibility, based on poisoning data and lead water tests, that funding might be better allocated to eliminating lead paint.

County Executive David Crowley, one of a handful of speakers to take the stage before Biden, didn’t shy away from that point. “I’m confident that the investments will create lasting change for Milwaukee, but to continue this work to becoming the healthiest county in the state, we must also address lead paint,” he said. “It is the leading cause of lead poisoning in our area.”

Crowley praised the Biden-Harris Administration and Senator Tammy Baldwin for taking action to deliver “new funding to address this and other challenges that are affecting our neighborhoods,” he said.

Governor Tony Evers touted the state’s progress, but emphasized that the project is not yet finished. “There is always more work to do,” he said. “Get this: we still have more than 150,000 to go, and for communities like Milwaukee, which has a majority of these remaining lead pipes, we know this work will not happen soon enough.”

Indeed, the EPA deadline may pose a problem for Milwaukee, which has succeeded in ramping up its work to replace lead pipes, but isn’t yet on pace to meet the requirement. At the start of 2024, the city had approximately 66,000 lead service lines (laterals) remaining. It is working to ramp up to 3,500 replacements per year.

Biden was introduced by Alonso Romo, a union member with LiUNA Local 113 who has worked on replacing lead service lines. “This is hard work, but it’s so important,” he said.

Notable attendees at the event included Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, Rep. Kalan Haywood II, Rep. Dora Drake, former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes and Alderman DiAndre Jackson.

Ahead of Biden’s remarks, the Republican-led Team Trump Wisconsin released a statement calling the president’s visit “another sickening reminder that a Kamala presidency would be another four years of historic inflation and high prices.”

The president’s appearance in Milwaukee on Tuesday marked his seventh visit to Wisconsin this year and his first since he suspended his reelection campaign in July. With just four weeks until Election Day, politicians from both parties are intensifying their efforts in Wisconsin, as the swing state is set to be a crucial battleground in November.

Trump held a press-only event in Milwaukee last week and Harris traveled to Ripon on Oct. 3. First Lady Jill Biden is set to campaign for Harris in Madison next week.

After wrapping up in Milwaukee, Biden headed to Philadelphia to campaign with Senator Bob Casey.

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