MADISON, Wis. — As President Biden delivers remarks in Milwaukee today on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to remove lead pipes across Wisconsin and keep families healthy, a recently released video from A Better Wisconsin Together highlights Deanna Branch, a Milwaukee mother of three, telling her family’s story about how they were seriously impacted by exposure to unsafe lead levels in their home.
The presence of lead in pipes that bring drinking water into homes poses serious health risks, especially in children. Yet, Wisconsin Republicans blocked $40 million for lead pipe replacement in Milwaukee that would have ensured clean drinking water for Deanna, her kids, and many other families.
Thankfully, Democratic leaders stepped up when Republicans refused to act. A recent law passed by the Biden-Harris Administration and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin means that Milwaukee and other communities across Wisconsin will have funding to replace lead pipes and deliver clean drinking water to our homes.
The Biden-Harris Administration has also designated Milwaukee as a Workforce Hub, to help make sure there are enough well-trained workers to get the job done. According to estimates for Milwaukee, this means that instead of taking 60 years to replace the lead pipes, it can get done in ten. In Wausau, instead of replacing 20 to 40 lead lines per year, they will be replacing 1,000 in 2025 alone.
“The impacts of these investments are real,” said Mike Browne, deputy director at A Better Wisconsin Together. “It means families like Deanna’s and others across the Badger State can turn on their kitchen tap and trust that clean, lead free water is coming out and their families stay healthy.”
Hear Deanna’s story in A Better Wisconsin Together’s full length video HERE.
