CHELSEA, Massachusetts. (WBZ NewsRadio) – The Environmental Protection Agency is working with six Massachusetts cities to speed up the replacement of lead water pipes.
The announcement was made Friday at Chelsea City Hall, one of the participating cities along with Fall River, Malden, Melrose, Revere and Taunton.
“There is no safe limit for lead exposure,” EPA Chief of Staff Dan Utech said in a statement.
The partnership is part of the statewide Get the Lead Out initiative, fully funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Act. The initiative aims to help cities across the socioeconomic spectrum remove lead from their drinking water, especially underserved communities, said María Belén Power of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Senator Ed Markey wants to replace all lead pipes in communities with old buildings in Massachusetts.
“It's simple: every Massachusetts resident – regardless of their zip code – has a right to access safe, clean drinking water at home, school and work,” Markey said in a statement.
As part of the initiative, the EPA will assist each city with a series of steps, including identifying lead pipes in historical archives and digging up the possible pipes door-to-door. Many cities will also receive assistance in organizing public events to inform the public about the mission.
Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez said he was proud that his city was one of the first to implement lead pipe replacement measures.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are still about nine million lead pipes across the country.
Madison Rogers of WBZ (@MadisonWBZ) reported.
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