The infrastructure bill has billions for this, but it may not be enough.

One of the points President Biden makes repeatedly is that his administration rid the nation once and for all of lead pipes to transport water. The bipartisan infrastructure law did include $15 billion to replace lead-based water service lines, and another nearly $12 billion to improve drinking water systems, which could go toward lead abatement.

And yet, over a year after the passage of that law, little has changed, writing fellow Ramenda Cyrus reports. The money probably falls short of what is needed to replace all the lead pipes in the country—if we even knew where they all were. And water agencies that must do this work cannot replace service lines inside property lines without permission from the owners, many of whom are resistant.

Cyrus tells a story about the hard work of governing after a law gets passed and everyone celebrates. It’s about public servants trying to turn an important priority with racial and economic justice implications into reality. It’s the kind of behind-the-headlines reporting that the Prospect is known for.

You can read Ramenda’s piece on lead water pipes here.