Brown announces upgrades for clean water, lead pipe replacement in Ohio

Published 12:00 am Monday, February 26, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced this week that the state of Ohio is receiving another major investment from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to upgrade aging water infrastructure, replace lead pipes and address emerging contaminants. 

The investments will help ensure safe drinking water for Ohioans, and create jobs for Building Trades workers throughout the state. The investment was awarded through EPA’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, and will support state-run, low-interest loan programs to address key challenges in drinking, storm, and waste water infrastructure projects.

This investment in clean drinking water infrastructure will be made available through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and was allocated as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Brown helped to write and pass. 

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“Families shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not the water coming out of the faucet is safe for their children to drink,” said Brown. “Because of the investments we made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Ohio communities will be able to replace old pipes, using American-made materials and installed by American workers.”

Last year, Brown also introduced the Financing Lead Out of Water (FLOW) Act, which would reduce the potential for Americans to be exposed to lead in their drinking water by making it easier for cities and utilities to issue bonds to finance old water pipe replacement projects.