WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Virginia and North Carolina will receive a total of more than $1 million through a federal lead testing and reduction grant program, government officials announced on Thursday.
Nationwide, the grants total $26 million, which will go to protect children from lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities.
Virginia will receive $449,000 through the program, while North Carolina will receive $619,000.
In children, lead can severely harm mental and physical development, slowing down learning, and irreversibly damaging the brain, according to a press release from the White House. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function, and cancer.
“The science is clear: There is no safe level of exposure to lead,” said Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. “EPA is also investing $15 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to remove lead pipes and is providing technical assistance to communities to help them develop and implement lead pipe replacement projects.”
The funding was authorized by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and is provided to states, the District of Columbia, and participating territories as grants for lead testing and remediation in schools and childcare facilities, the press release stated.
The program requires grant recipients to test drinking water and take action when lead is found.
Since 2019, the Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Grant has provided over $150 million in funding to conduct the testing and removal of lead sources in drinking water in schools and childcare facilities across the country.
