Get the Lead Out Act of 2016 - Fall

Team Members: Fatma Zişan Tokaç,Xinjia Emily Yan, Zhuo Hao Kevin Cheng, Tiara Cunningham, Jingjing Du, Kaiyu Qiu, Marissa Sterling, Na Su, Isaac Wilkins

Lead contamination in drinking water remains a persistent public health threat rooted in legacy infrastructure and outdated materials from earlier industrial development. Exposure is especially damaging for children, with well-established links to irreversible cognitive impacts and lifelong consequences for health, educational attainment, and economic opportunity. While the risks are widespread, the burden is most acute in low-income and vulnerable communities where aging service lines, corrosion risks, and limited capacity for infrastructure investment intersect. The Get the Lead Out Act targets this challenge by funding interventions focused on corrosion control, public education, and lead service line replacement, offering $60 million per year (2017–2021) to help communities reduce exposure and prevent harm.

A central finding is that full remediation costs are far beyond the proposed federal authorization—likely in the billions—so the most effective use of limited funding is to unlock larger, longer-term investments. The recommended program design shifts the strategy toward “seed” investments that build political and financial momentum: $1 million planning grants for 250 cities to jump-start infrastructure planning, develop actionable replacement strategies, and position municipalities to secure future funding and public support. In parallel, $20 million is directed to a nationwide education campaign to increase awareness of lead exposure pathways and strengthen preventive behavior, serving as a supportive mechanism while infrastructure planning advances. The approach prioritizes equity and feasibility: build a pipeline of implementable projects, make risks visible to the public, and create the foundation for sustained investment at the scale required to eliminate severe lead contamination nationwide.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management.