Harris to tout $5.8B in water infrastructure funding in Pennsylvania

Vice President Harris will on Tuesday announce the latest portion of bipartisan Infrastructure Act funding ($5.8 billion) to improve the nation’s drinking water infrastructure.

Harris is scheduled to visit Pittsburgh with EPA Administrator Michael Regan to announce the funding.

The funding includes $3.2 billion for drinking water infrastructure and $2.6 billion for sewer and stormwater infrastructure.

“Today, I am proud to announce more than $5.8 billion from the Invest in America Plan for states, tribes, and territories to improve water infrastructure in communities across the country,” Harris said in a written statement. said.

“With this investment, we will continue our urgent efforts to remove every lead pipe in the country and ensure all Americans have access to safe, reliable drinking water,” she added.

Although this funding is not explicitly designated for replacing lead-based pipes, it could be used for that purpose. Exposure to lead is associated with brain damage in children.

Of the $5.8 billion, more than $1 billion is earmarked for certain chemicals that contaminate water, including a group called PFAS, which have been linked to diseases such as certain cancers and immune system problems. These substances are pervasive in America’s waterways and people’s bodies.