(Reuters) -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it would provide states with $3 billion in new funding to reduce lead in drinking water.
The agency said it is also making available to states an additional $1.1 billion in previously announced funding to address the lead problem.
The money will go toward finding and removing lead pipes that deliver water to homes, schools, and businesses, the agency said in a statement.
Lead pipes are the main source of lead in drinking water, according to the EPA. Ingesting the heavy metal can severely affect mental and physical development, especially in children, causing brain damage and other potentially lifelong health issues.
“This investment represents the EPA’s unwavering commitment to protecting America’s children from the dangers of lead exposure in their drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
EPA said updated data shows there are an estimated 4 million lead service lines in the U.S., down from 9 million previously estimated.
(Reporting by Christian Martinez in Los Angeles and Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
