They allocate $42 million to replace lead pipes in drinking water systems in Puerto Rico

The Government of Puerto Rico announced a new injection of $42.6 million in federal funds aimed at continuing the process of identifying, planning, and replacing service lines of lead in the drinking water systems of the country. The allocation comes from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is part of a broader federal effort to accelerate the removal of infrastructure that still poses lead exposure risks. According to information provided by La Fortaleza, the new allocation includes $28.6 million granted directly by the EPA and another $14 million reassigned from unused funds by other jurisdictions under the Safe Drinking Water Act. These resources are part of a federal announcement of $3,000 million, accompanied by an additional redistribution of $1,100 million. Governor Jenniffer González Colón stated that the investment will allow progress in the modernization of the drinking water infrastructure, a project that has been identified as a priority to meet federal standards and reduce health risks. The EPA, for its part, highlighted that the redistribution of funds responds to an inventory review carried out by states and territories. That process reduced the national estimate of lead service lines from nine million to four million, allowing resources to be directed towards jurisdictions with greater verified needs.

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The agency administrator, Lee Zeldin, indicated that the new allocations seek to ensure that the money "goes directly to replace the lead pipes that threaten our communities". In addition to replacement work, funds may be used for inventories, planning, design, and other eligible tasks under the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which is the main federal funding channel for these projects. The executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (Prfaa), Gabriella Boffelli, indicated that the allocation reflects lobbying and coordination efforts in Washington, and anticipated that the agency will work with the EPA to ensure the agile and transparent use of resources. Local authorities have not yet detailed the specific schedule of the projects, but reiterated that they will continue to prioritize areas where the presence of lead pipes is still suspected or where higher risks of exposure have been identified.