Less than a year ago, the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency unveiled the first national plan to remove lead pipes and limit the levels of harmful chemicals in drinking water — and they chose to do so in front of Black North Carolinians.
For decades, residents in the Tar Heel State have been concerned by the prevalence of lead water pipes and a drinking water supply that is contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” And researchers have shown that Black residents of the state who rely on well water are typically exposed to higher levels of chemicals and lower quality drinking water than communities connected to a municipal water supply.
When the EPA’s plan was announced last year, Belinda Joyner, a former schoolteacher in North Carolina, told Capital B she was ecstatic about cleaning up the state and nation’s drinking water. “It’s finally here, and we love it,” she said, “even if it is all overdue and something that should have happened years ago.”
But now, that sense of progress is on the chopping block before it could even truly take hold.
Within weeks of taking office, the Trump administration paused the plans to replace lead pipes and tighten rules on limiting toxic chemicals in drinking water.
If the plans are completely abandoned, millions of people will remain at risk of exposure to contaminants that have long been linked to developmental delays in children and heightened risks of chronic diseases for adults.
The reversals come as the Trump administration dismantles a range of governmental agencies that had been designed to regulate big business and protect Americans. The Biden administration’s efforts were particularly relevant for Black Americans because studies have shown that they are typically exposed to higher levels of lead and other toxic chemicals in their water than other demographic groups.
Read More: Trump’s Fossil Fuel Agenda Puts Black Communities at Risk
The changes that the new administration is implementing, coupled with its removal of other supports for economically disadvantaged communities, threaten to widen the gap in access to safe drinking water.
The rapid elimination of these initiatives feels like “if you put a gallon of milk in the fridge and it spoils overnight,” said Nayyirah Shariff, a community activist who has helped secure funding for the replacement of lead water pipes in Flint, Michigan, for a decade.
Republican lawmakers in Congress have already introduced a new rule to permanently repeal the plan to replace the nation’s lead pipes.
There are still other avenues available to improve water plants and replace water lines, but advocates say that they are not optimistic that those efforts will lead to significant improvements for the Black communities that need them most. In the first month of the Trump administration, roughly 15% of EPA workers were warned they were at risk of immediate termination. In addition, EPA workers focused on reducing environmental harms to poor and minority communities were put on leave.
“With environmental justice effectively dead at the federal level and the attention to our community gone,” the struggle for clean drinking water in Black neighborhoods is a “fight for our dignity and place in this country,” said Shariff.
That fight is about more than just physical ailments. Research has shown that unsafe drinking water in communities correlates with higher rates of gun violence, lower property values, neighborhood disinvestment, joblessness, and under-funded schools.
Officials at both the EPA and Department of Justice declined to comment on the rule pauses.
Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about public water systems and what the administration’s changes might mean for you:
How do drinking water systems work?
Public Drinking Water Systems:
Public drinking water systems in the U.S. start by drawing water from natural sources like rivers, lakes, or underground aquifers and then purify it at water treatment plants that are regulated by the EPA. The water then gets transferred through an extensive network of pipes. (About 10% of these pipes are made of lead.)
These systems are typically managed by local or municipal governments and funded through taxes or fees. However, due to historical and systemic inequities, many Black American communities have experienced underinvestment in water infrastructure, leading to both economic and health disparities.
Read More:
- Record Investment Merely Scratches the Surface of Fixing Black America’s Water Crisis
- The Water Crisis Is Disrupting Black Americans’ Lives
Private (Rural) Drinking Water Systems:
Private or rural drinking water systems are often individual wells or small community-managed systems, where homeowners or local groups take on the responsibility for maintaining water quality and infrastructure. Because these systems are not as tightly regulated or financially supported as those run by large public utilities, they face challenges with consistent water quality testing, upkeep, and access to modern treatment technologies. This situation is particularly acute in rural areas where Black Americans reside because of geographic isolation and economic policies that make it difficult for these homeowners to afford water wells and regular water quality testing.
Read More: Alabama Discriminated Against Black Residents, Feds Confirm
Why is it important for all levels of government to work together on drinking water?
It is important for the federal government to collaborate with state and local governments because funding, infrastructure, and oversight responsibilities are often decentralized and siloed, said LaTricea Adams, a former member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Without adequate funding, local and state governments could not manage distribution systems, oversee local infrastructure, or conduct water quality testing.
Federal programs passed under Biden like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $50 billion investment in water systems provided investments for replacing lead pipes and upgrading water treatment facilities, while the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund helps states finance long-term improvements. However, states must properly allocate these funds and enforce regulations. Last year, an analysis by Capital B found that money allocated through the revolving fund was more likely to benefit non-Black communities. Essentially, to ensure Black neighborhoods have clean drinking water, there needs to be strong regulations that are backed by dedicated funding sources and strict oversight, Adams explained. Historically, this has not happened, as seen in Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi.
Read More: Jackson’s Water Is Still Brown. The EPA Says That’s Not Discrimination.
Lead contamination in drinking water happens due to the nation’s aging lead service lines that often corrode, allowing lead to seep into the water. Historical policies like redlining and discriminatory urban planning has left Black neighborhoods with outdated infrastructure and a higher risk of exposure to lead. Furthermore, while the Safe Drinking Water Act set standards for lead levels, its uneven enforcement and lack of targeted remediation in marginalized communities have perpetuated these inequities. (In 2020, the first Trump administration attempted to limit elements of the Clean Water Act and this year, the administration has signaled an attempt to weaken current lead restrictions.)
There are roughly 9 million lead water service lines in operation across the nation, and they’re virtually everywhere, making it difficult for cities to locate and replace these pipes without federal funding.
Read More: Flint’s Water Crisis, 10 Years Later
What is PFAS?
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of manmade chemicals used in everyday products like nonstick cookware, waterproof fabrics, and firefighting foams for their durability and water-resistant properties. They’re often called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down or disappear, remaining in our environment forever.
They’ve found their way into our drinking water through industrial discharges, runoff from military bases where firefighting foams were used, and leaching from landfills and wastewater. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to a range of serious health issues — including immune system disruptions, thyroid problems, certain cancers, and reproductive and developmental effects—and Black American communities often face higher exposure due to long-standing environmental injustices that place them near contaminated sites and industrial operations.
Since PFAS does not break down easily, it requires more advanced — and often pricey — technologies to effectively get them out, something that is difficult to do without federal support.
Read More: Black and Hispanic Communities More Likely to Have Drinking Water with PFAS
How can I find out if there is lead or PFAS are in my water?
You can check if your community has elevated levels of PFAS in drinking water using this map. Here, you can check if your city is a hotspot for lead contamination and service lines. (Neither of these databases are exhaustive, so it is recommended that you reach out to your local city council member or city public works department for more information.)
What else can I do?
Below you’ll find a collection of steps recommended by advocates and former government officials that you can take to ensure your water is meeting the standards it should.
The activists and officials emphasized the need for a multipronged approach that combines learning from history, adapting leadership to the current challenges, and maintaining the push for strong regulations and oversight alongside infrastructure improvements.
- Reach out to your local city council members with a set of questions:
- Has your area conducted extensive mapping of where lead service lines are located?
- Is there funding for lead testing at individual properties?
- How old is our water treatment facility? (More than half of the country has outdated facilities.)
- Ask for access to water quality reports
- Advocate for continued investment in water infrastructure, especially in your area’s rural communities.
- Collaborate with local groups to discuss water quality concerns, share information, and develop collective strategies for improvement.
- Participate in public comment periods and attend hearings to influence water quality regulations and policies.
- If possible, purchase a water filtration system for your kitchen and bathroom sinks.
- Study the strategies and tactics used by Civil Rights Era activists to address environmental issues and learn from their experiences.
- Expanding the work around water access in addition to drinking water. Focus on protecting wetlands and other natural water filtration systems, as they are crucial for water quality.
Ultimately, “we do not have time to allow our water issues to continue; this is literally life or death,” Adams explained. “We cannot let the decision power lie with people who do not care about our lives.”