EPA relied on flawed data to divvy up federal funding for replacing lead pipes and might have sent over $900 million to two states that didn’t need the money, the agency’s independent watchdog office said Tuesday.
Since the enactment of the infrastructure law in 2021, EPA has been tasked with allocating billions of dollars to states to remove toxic lead pipes from drinking water. The money is critical to address the public health threat posed by lead contamination and to help cities comply with the Biden administration’s new requirement that all lead pipes be replaced.
EPA has been surveying states to determine how many lead pipes they have in order to allocate federal funds based on need. Illinois, Ohio and states in the Northeast are thought to have some of the highest concentrations of lead pipes.
But the questionnaire EPA sent to states to determine allotments in 2023 lacked “rigorous internal controls” to ensure the data on lead pipes was reliable, the Office of Inspector General said in its new report.
