WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday visited Wisconsin to tout how the bipartisan infrastructure law passed last year is enabling authorities to improve drinking water by removing lead pipes, saying such action is a “moral imperative.”
Speaking at a nonprofit in Milwaukee, Harris highlighted the $15 billion from the infrastructure measure that will fund the removal and replacement of all lead pipes nationwide within a decade. The Environmental Protection Agency has already announced the release of $3 billion that will allow states to begin the work, Harris said.
Harris framed the projects as a jobs creator and a public health effort. Ten million households and 400,000 schools and childcare facilities have lead pipes. Exposure to lead in drinking water has been linked to numerous health problems, including increased blood pressure and decreased kidney function.
