Water drop abstract background

How SRF policies can support equitable water workforce development

IIJA is an investment in jobs, as well as infrastructure. Federal SRF appropriations flow to communities through state SRF programs, but more is needed to ensure that the jobs created by investments in water infrastructure are equitably distributed to workers in underserved communities. This policy brief identifies policy options state SRF administrators can adopt to advance equitable workforce goals.

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Automatic Enrollment Isn’t New—It’s Time to Apply It to Lead Pipe Replacement

Automatic enrollment has proven effective in utility upgrades like AMI—and applying the same model to lead service line replacement could streamline access, boost participation, and speed up progress.

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Guidance

Coordination of Replacement Activity

This resource provides strategies for coordinating public and private-side replacements, reducing disruptions, and improving communication with residents

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Tools & Guides Maps

Transparency in action: Map of public LSL replacement programs

EDF’s map spotlights lead service line replacement programs across the country, including financial assistance for private side replacements

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Aqua to begin second phase of downtown Struthers water main replacement.

Aqua to begin second phase of downtown Struthers water main replacement. What to know

Aqua plans on replacing lead pipes found during water main replacements in Struthers, OH at no direct cost to the homeowner.

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Lead Pipes and Environmental Justice. A study of lead pipe replacement in Washington, DC

This report found that lead pipe replacement programs in Washington, DC disproportionately benefited wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods, leaving low-income and minority communities at greater risk of lead exposure due to the financial burden of replacing private service lines.

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LSLR Financing Case Studies

The EPA compiled 10 case studies highlighting proactive actions being taken by cities across the country to finance projects that identify and remove these lead service lines.

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Checklist

Start a conversation: Ask the right questions to make key program decision

A guide for local elected officials to ask key questions when starting a LSLR program.

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Learning through Collaboration: Great Lakes Lead Pipes Partnership

The Great Lakes Lead Pipes Partnership, a first-of-its-kind mayor-led partnership designed to create shared learnings and replicate successes.

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Mayor Ras Baraka

Spotlight: A Conversation with a Mayor Spurs Action

At Mayor Baraka’s urging, the Newark City Council passed two ordinances to make the full-scale project possible.

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Milwaukee is one of the few cities in the country with a prioritization plan to ensure neighborhoods likely to suffer the most severe impacts from lead poisoning get their pipes replaced first. In consultation with a community-based group, Coalition for Lead Emergency (COLE), and following a public engagement process, Milwaukee included in an ordinance three indicators to prioritize where LSLs will be removed first:

  1. The area deprivation index (ADI), which is a compilation of social determinants of health
  2. The percentage of children found to have elevated lead levels in their blood when tested for lead poisoning
  3. The density of lead service lines in the neighborhood.

Read more here.