Milwaukee, WI
Biden in Milwaukee announces 10-year timeline for lead pipe replacement • Wisconsin Examiner
All U.S. municipalities will be required to remove lead from their water lines over a 10-year period under new federal regulations the Environmental Protection Agency released Tuesday.
To officially announce the new rule, President Joe Biden traveled to Milwaukee, where he spoke about the role that his administration’s bipartisan infrastructure law played in advancing the replacement of lead pipes in Wisconsin’s largest city as well as across the country.
“For too long, local communities have known how important it was to deal with this problem,” Biden said. “It hadn’t been given the national priority it demanded, though. I’m here today to tell you that I’m finally insisting that it gets prioritized, and I’m insisting to get it done well.”
The U.S. has more than 9 million water service lines still using lead pipes, according to the EPA, including 340,000 lines in Wisconsin.
The infrastructure law includes $15 billion for lead pipe replacement. It also contains incentives to use union labor and to create apprenticeship programs to train more workers.
Underscoring that, Biden was introduced by Alonzo Romo, a Laborers Union member who has been among the workers replacing lead lines in Milwaukee.
“I personally helped move 35 lead laterals, and while I have a lot more to do, I know we’re making great pace,” Romo said. “This is hard work, but it is so rewarding. Not only am I getting paid great wages and great benefits, but I know that when I am removing a lead service lateral, I’m helping a family in our community have access to clean drinking water.”
Nationally about 367,000 lead lines have been replaced — and in the process, Biden said, “providing what’s good for our health and for our environment is also good for our economy and it’s good for jobs.”
The rule released Tuesday is an update of the federal lead and copper rule for drinking water. The 10-year timeline it requires for all communities to replace their lead service lines starts in 2027.
“This is also about fairness,” Biden said. “Nationally, I’m directing nearly half of this funding to go to disadvantaged communities that have borne the brunt of lead pipe poisoning for damn too long.”
A disproportionate number of people living where lead pipes remain in use are people of color, Biden said. “We have an obligation to make things right.”
Advocates praised the measure as a boon to public health.
“As we confront the legacy of lead contamination, this rule strengthens accountability and prioritizes the safety of our most vulnerable communities,” said Sara Welling, director of the water and agriculture program at Clean Wisconsin. “Today’s announcement sets us on a course for a healthier future, empowering local governments and water utilities to address this persistent threat with greater urgency and transparency.”
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MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee’s Festival of Flowers is returning to Riverwalk Commons at the Milwaukee Public Market this Saturday, running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The free event features a flower market with vendors selling fresh flowers, art, and handmade goods, along with live music on the Riverwalk Common stage.
Milwaukee Public Market
A new floral art installation from Botanical Collective will also be on display, serving as a photo opportunity for attendees. The installation builds on a similar display from last year’s event.
WATCH: Milwaukee’s Festival of Flowers returns for a second year with new additions
Milwaukee’s Festival of Flowers returns for second year with new additions
“So things that you might have seen last year are absolutely coming back. We have free live music on the Riverwalk Common stage. We have a flower market with vendors selling fresh flowers, art, handmade goods, all of that really fun stuff. Then we also have Botanical Collective last year made this beautiful floral art installation that also acted as a photo op. This year it’s going to look a little different, so we’re really excited to see what they put together,” said Paige Hammond with the Milwaukee Public Market.
Milwaukee Public Market
Also new this year, the festival will kick off with a free yoga class at 11 a.m. Attendees are asked to bring their own mat.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Milwaukee, WI
VIDEO: Celebrating Milwaukee, LIVE at Anodyne (Feat. Dan Shafer, Kristin Brey, Angela Lang and special guests) – Civic Media
Murray Avenue and Edgewood Avenue, Shorewood
SHOREWOOD, Wis. – A 13-year-old was taken into custody on Wednesday morning, May 13, following a police chase that started in Milwaukee and ended in Shorewood.
Police chase
The backstory:
It was around 1:40 a.m. Wednesday when the Shorewood Police Department was notified of a pursuit involving a reported stolen vehicle.
The pursuit had been initiated by the Milwaukee Police Department and was terminated before entering Shorewood.
Shorewood officers located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle did not stop, and a pursuit was initiated.
The chase ended near Murray Avenue and Edgewood Avenue.
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The 13-year-old driver and sole occupant ran from the scene – and their vehicle rolled backward into the front of a Shorewood squad car.
Murray Avenue and Edgewood Avenue, Shorewood
Teen in custody
What we know:
The teen was taken into custody with the assistance of several neighboring law enforcement agencies.
The individual will be referred to the Milwaukee County Children’s Court for charging.
No injuries were sustained by the suspect or officers, and no damage was reported resulting from the contact between the vehicles.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Shorewood Police Department.
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