The territory has secured $9 million in federal funding to eliminate lead pipes in homes and schools as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s urgent push to replace all lead pipes across the country within the next 10 years, the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday.
This funding, delivered under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvement (LCRI) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will allow the territory to address the threat of water contamination, particularly in disadvantaged communities that have long been neglected. It marks a critical step forward in the fight to provide every resident with access to clean, safe drinking water, according to an emailed news release.
Although the Virgin Islands has not historically faced widespread lead contamination, this federal funding ensures that any lingering non-compliant pipes are removed before they become a public health crisis. “Parents should never have to worry about their children consuming water contaminated with lead, regardless of where they live,” EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said in Tuesday’s statement.
This initiative complements the recent announcement of a Prudent Replacement Plan, an ambitious FEMA-funded overhaul by the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, which is designed to modernize the crumbling water infrastructure. WAPA’s plan, according to a recent release, will replace outdated pipes, upgrade failing pump stations and refurbish aging storage tanks that have left residents vulnerable to water quality and reliability issues. Following the approval of the plan for the St. Thomas-St. John district, WAPA is now positioned to launch similar projects across both districts, according to the release.
“With the support of FEMA and our diligent planning, we are working toward a future where water outages and quality issues are a thing of the past,” said WAPA Chief Executive Officer Karl Knight, framing the effort as essential to the long-term sustainability of the territory’s water systems.
WAPA has already made progress, he said, completing waterline rehabilitation projects in critical areas such as downtown Christiansted and Frederiksted. These projects represent a small piece of broader initiative to bring the territory’s water system in line with modern industry standards—efforts that WAPA officials have said are long overdue. The Prudent Replacement Plan promises to prevent further infrastructure failures that have plagued the islands, ensuring a more reliable water supply for all residents.
The EPA’s new lead and copper regulations, announced on Tuesday, mandate the identification and replacement of lead pipes within a decade. This includes more aggressive testing standards and requires water systems to inform the public about lead contamination risks and the steps being taken to mitigate them. With $9 million now in hand for the U.S. Virgin Islands, the territory can begin the urgent work of removing any remaining lead pipes while simultaneously rebuilding its failing water infrastructure, according to the EPA.
This action comes about a year after testing results in a range of neighborhoods on St. Croix revealed elevated levels of lead and copper, later found to be caused by improper sampling methods. WAPA’s Prudent Replacement Plan, coupled with this new round of federal funding, aims to eliminate the conditions that could lead to similar issues in the future, according to officials.
Beyond the immediate replacement of aging pipes, WAPA is taking steps to ensure that the territory’s water infrastructure is built to last, Knight said in the release. The plan includes critical upgrades to pump stations and storage tanks, which have long been weak points in the system, and others that are necessary to avoid ongoing service disruptions and prevent public health risks.
