Lead Service Line Replacement: Milwaukee, WI
In October of 2024 in Milwaukee, WI, President Joe Biden announced the latest revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s plan to remove all lead pipes in the country’s water supply in the next ten years, with unionized workers doing much of the replacement. The Lead and Copper Rule, originally passed in 1991 to protect citizens from lead and copper in drinking water, was also updated by lowering the actionable level of lead from 15 ppb to 10 ppb. Also announced was more funding for water updates and lead pipe removal—an additional $2.6 billion on top of the $15 billion funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for the EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for states to apply for and distribute to local governments and utilities to finance water infrastructure projects, including lead service line replacements (LSLR).
According to the Milwaukee Water Works, the City of Milwaukee is working to replace roughly 65,000 residential lead service lines. About 6,400 lead service lines have been removed over the last seven years. The EPA reported that in 2024 alone, Milwaukee has received $30 million from the BIL to replace 3,400 lead service lines, putting them on track to replace all lead service lines in the city in the 10-year replacement timeline proposed within the EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements finalized in October 2024.
Biden Administration criteria defining and prioritizing disadvantaged communities—such as the Justice 40 Initiative —have made it possible for states to distribute funding to communities that are in the greatest need of LSLR. Milwaukee has implemented an Equity Prioritization Plan, which prioritizes funding for lead service line replacement in the city’s most disadvantaged areas. The plan considers where there are elevated levels of lead in occupants’ blood, the density of lead service lines, and socioeconomic factors like housing quality, income, education, and employment.
The BlueGreen Alliance advocated for the implementation of an apprenticeship utilization standard in Milwaukee’s Equity Prioritization Plan, resulting in the requirement that a 1:1 journeyman-to-apprentice ratio for each skilled craft be employed on a project. The apprenticeship utilization requirement—paired with the City of Milwaukee Resident Preference Program that aims to employ 40% of the workforce from economically distressed zip codes—serves as an opportunity to provide economic opportunities to people in the same communities that have suffered from lead contamination. This effort is not without its challenges as some contractors struggle to find apprentices in these zip codes. Other times, apprentices are hired to fulfill the project's requirements and are let go once the project is completed. More work needs to be done to ensure that the apprenticeship requirement is as fully equitable as intended.
Although LSLR projects are being implemented, it’s crucial to take immediate action to protect the health of those currently being exposed to lead via drinking water. Providing water filtration systems in homes is a practical and effective interim measure. By ensuring that households have access to reliable water filtration until their lead service line is replaced, we can mitigate the impact of chemicals and contaminants and provide safer drinking water.