U.S. Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, alongside Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia, has introduced a new bill to reduce exposure to lead in old water pipes. According to senators, the FLOW Act will help cities and public water utilities issue tax-exempt bonds to help pay for removing and replacing both public and private lead service lines. … A 2024 statewide study by Water Education Colorado showed that 23 Colorado cities have roughly 20,000 aging lead water delivery pipes that could taint drinking water. Bennet and Justice say that privately owned pipes serving residences have been slower to remove and replace lines than public utility lines due to the cost of replacing lead service lines. Bennet explains that the legislation is based on the experience of Denver Water, a public water utility that finances the removal of all public and private lead service lines within its service area by issuing tax-exempt bonds at no cost to its customers. However, issuing tax-exempt bonds for this purpose can be both costly and time-consuming for water utility companies.