Connecticut is set to receive $27.5 million from the federal government to replace thousands of aging lead pipes still carrying drinking water to homes across the state. The funding, announced last week by the Environmental Protection Agency, is the latest allotment given to Connecticut through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Enacted in 2021, the federal law set aside $15 billion for finding and replacing lead pipes nationwide, including about $150 million for Connecticut. Lead, a heavy metal once common in products such as pipes and paints, is a neurotoxin that is harmful to human health, especially for children and pregnant women. Even small amounts can stunt children’s development and lower IQ scores, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Though water quality experts say the federal funding covers only a fraction of what it will ultimately cost to replace all of Connecticut’s lead pipes, public health officials have described the investment as a big step toward improving the state’s drinking water systems. “Drinking water infrastructure projects are costly, and this funding provides significant support to our communities as they work to identify and remove lead service lines,” DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani said. “These resources allow Connecticut to move faster in eliminating lead exposure risks, strengthening local public water systems, and protecting the health of all residents — especially our most vulnerable.”
CT still has thousands of lead pipes carrying drinking water. New funding aims to replace them
