TRAPPE, MD - The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a $3 billion initiative to replace lead pipes in drinking water systems across the United States, part of President Joe Biden's Investing in America agenda.
Delaware is set to receive more than $28 million, Maryland more than $29 million, and Virginia $49 million as part of the initiative, which aims to improve drinking water safety.
The town of Trappe is among the areas where the issue of lead pipes in drinking water is amongst most homes. Trappe Council President Brian Schmidt explained that the plan includes inspecting basements, crawlspaces, and yards to identify and replace lead pipes.
"We may be having some people knocking on doors asking to see if we can go into the basement, see where the pipes go into the homes, into crawl spaces, see again where the pipes are coming into the homes, what those pipes are made of, and probably a little bit of digging in somebody's yard somewhere along the line," Schmidt said.
The inspection will also include checking pipes through meter pits located in people's yards, with homes built before the 1980s likely to have lead pipes. And most of the homes in Trappe were built before 1980.
"I believe anything before 1972 is considered to have lead piping. I believe between '72 and '86 they're not quite sure. I believe anything after '86 is going to be considered to not have lead piping," Schmidt explained.
Scott Thomas, a homeowner whose house was built in 1910, expressed willingness to endure the inconvenience of the inspections for the sake of safer drinking water.
"I would just want them replaced as soon as possible and a new set of pipes would be great," Thomas said.
Another homeowner, Dan Campbell, whose house was built sometime after 1860, emphasized the importance of the inspections.
"I mean it's something you're not even aware of. You can't taste it, you know, and short of a whole house water filter, you don't know what you got. I mean, it's perfectly fine by me. I'm grateful that somebody is gonna test my pipes for free," Campbell said.
The funding was allocated based on the projected number of lead pipes per state. The EPA estimates that the average replacement cost per line is about $4,700, but the true cost to homeowners will not be known until the inspections are complete.
Municipalities within the U.S are required to send in their lead pipe inventory list by October 16. That is Phase 1. Phase 2 will include pipe replacement.
