Remarks for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds Event with Vice-President Harris, As Prepared for Delivery
Michael Regan
Pittsburgh, PA
Hello everyone. It’s an honor to join you all today.
I’m grateful to be here with Vice President Harris. Thank you, Madame Vice President, for your persistent and enduring advocacy for underserved communities across our country.
Senator Fetterman, Congressman Deluzio, and Congresswoman Lee, thank you for joining us. I’m grateful for your partnership, and for your commitment to ensuring the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians.
Lieutenant Governor Davis, thank you for welcoming us to Pennsylvania. We appreciate your leadership.
Mayor Gainey, it’s great to have you here with us. Thank you for all you do for the people of Pittsburgh.
Over the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of traveling all across this great nation. From the biggest of cities to the smallest of rural towns, I’ve met people from all different backgrounds and walks of life.
Folks, clean water is essential. It’s essential for our health. It’s essential for our wellbeing.
Clean water powers American jobs, American industry, and our entire economy. It sustains life, our environment, and preserves vital and diverse ecosystems.
But even today, too many parents know the pain of having a child sickened by contaminated water. Too many communities have been left behind and are suffering from decentralized and inadequate wastewater systems.
That’s why President Biden and Vice President Harris made investing in our nation’s water infrastructure a cornerstone of their administration’s agenda. Investing in our water is investing in America.
Thanks to the bold, visionary leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris, and our colleagues in Congress, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivered the single largest investment in water infrastructure in U.S. history.
More than $50 billion dollars—that’s billion with a ‘B’—to replace lead pipes, protect treasured waters, and build drinking water and wastewater systems that are resilient in the face of climate change.
These investments present a historic opportunity to change the game for so many communities struggling to access clean water across our country.
EPA is central to these efforts, and we’re moving quickly to get this transformational funding out the door.
And today, EPA is investing $5.8 billion dollars in drinking water and clean water infrastructure upgrades nationwide, thanks to the Biden-Harris administration’s investments in America.
Almost a year ago today, Pittsburgh celebrated the removal of the 10,000th lead service line—and with a recent award of over $32 million in State Revolving Funds, the city is set to remove more than 2600 lead service lines in and around Pittsburgh communities this year.
Today’s funding announcement is only going to help accelerate this great progress and ensure that even more communities across Pennsylvania have access to safe, clean water.
We know that investing in our water infrastructure is one of the best decisions we can make for our country—for public health and environmental protection, for job creation, and for the strength and vitality of our economy.
Together, we will propel great cities like Pittsburgh into the future with safer, healthier, and more resilient water infrastructure—and President Biden and Vice President Harris’ Investing in America agenda is helping make that vision a reality.
Thank you.