Bill Overview
Title: Financing Lead Out of Water Act of 2022
Description: This bill allows the issuance of tax-exempt private activity bonds to finance the replacement of any privately-owned portion of a lead service line in a public water system. Specifically, the bill provides that the use of proceeds from such bonds for replacement of a lead service line does not constitute private business use.
Sponsors: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals served by public water systems with lead service lines
Estimated Size: 18200000
- The bill specifically deals with replacing lead service lines, which primarily impacts residents who receive water through these lines.
- Lead in water primarily affects individuals receiving water from public water systems with lead service lines.
- Exposure to lead in water can have serious health impacts, particularly for vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women.
- According to the American Water Works Association, thousands of U.S. water systems potentially have lead pipes.
Reasoning
- The bill is designed to mitigate the health effects caused by lead in drinking water, especially for individuals who are using public water systems with lead lines.
- It is expected to have a significant impact on people living in older urban areas where such infrastructure is common.
- The budget allocation suggests that a moderate percentage of affected homes and people may see improvements.
- The estimation of affected population uses EPA data on lead pipes, contextualized by U.S. household sizes.
- Target populations include families with children and pregnant women who are more vulnerable to lead exposure.
- Levels of impact will vary, with direct lines seeing high impact and indirect benefits to public health in the medium term.
- Some individuals will experience no direct change if their community water system is already compliant or amortized under different maintenance regimes.
Simulated Interviews
Teacher (Detroit, MI)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I worry about the water quality for my kids.
- Replacing the lead pipes would give me peace of mind.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Auto Worker (Flint, MI)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We've been through a lot with water issues here.
- It is crucial to have lead-free water for my future family.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 2 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 2 |
Retired (Chicago, IL)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's important to have clean, lead-free water, especially for future generations.
- I am happy to see steps are finally being taken.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Software Developer (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I currently use filters, systemic change is better.
- Creating lead-free infrastructure is a long-term necessity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Healthcare worker (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Thankfully, not affected, but supporting this is essential.
- Everyone should have access to safe drinking water.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Retired Engineer (Newark, NJ)
Age: 72 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Seeing this progress is satisfying after years of advocacy.
- Health and safety should always be a priority.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 2 |
Small Business Owner (New Orleans, LA)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a community leader, I back any initiative that improves public health.
- Our infrastructure needs proactive updates.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
College Student (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 21 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Ensuring clean water is important for my generation's future.
- Investing in public health infrastructure is critical.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Sales Manager (Indianapolis, IN)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm glad to see improvements for those affected by lead in water.
- Our home is new, but I support these measures for others.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Professor (Boston, MA)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Academic institutions should lead the charge in water improvements.
- Safe water is fundamental for all communities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $120000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $140000000)
Year 2: $120000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $140000000)
Year 3: $120000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $140000000)
Year 5: $130000000 (Low: $110000000, High: $150000000)
Year 10: $140000000 (Low: $120000000, High: $160000000)
Year 100: $180000000 (Low: $160000000, High: $200000000)
Key Considerations
- The scale of the tax revenue impact will depend on the issuance volume of tax-exempt private activity bonds across states.
- The extent of lead line replacement will also depend on states' and municipalities' ability to mobilize these bonds quickly and efficiently.
- Payback and efficacy could be substantial if offset by measures of improved public health outcomes.