Rep. Ritchie Torres Introduces PURE Water Act
The ‘Providing Useful Relief for Enhanced Water Act’ Would Create a Water Filtration Tax Credit | Torres joined by Lawler, Nadler, Latimer, Riley and Olszewski
Today, Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) introduced the PURE Water Act into the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a tax credit for the purchase and installation of certain water filtration systems in homes. Congressmen Mike Lawler (NY-17), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), George Latimer (NY-16), Josh Riley (NY-19), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) joined Rep. Torres are original co-sponsors.
The bill will continue the work established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act while empowering the American people to take action and install a water filtration system in their own residency, instead of waiting for their local municipality to replace the larger lead service line. While lead service replacement can cost anywhere from $10,000 – $15,000, a filter can be installed faster and cheaper by the homeowner.
On the bill, Rep. Torres said:
“Safe drinking water is an essential public good. It is not a privilege, but a right. The government has a compelling public health interest in subsidizing safe drinking water for those who struggle to afford it. The prevalence of lead poses a real threat to clean and safe drinking water here in New York State. When you’re exposed to lead, it has consequences that can haunt you for the rest of your life.
“Replacing all the lead service pipes is going to be a long-term, laborious process. So instead of New Yorkers waiting indefinitely for all the pipes to be replaced, why not give New Yorkers a tax credit to enable them to modernize their filtration systems? It’s the best solution in the short term.”
Josh Klainberg, Senior Vice President at the New York League of Conservation Voters, added:
“In New York State alone, there are approximately 500,000 lead service lines delivering drinking water to homes, businesses, and houses of worship. Efforts to limit lead exposure must be stepped up now as it will take years to marshal the resources needed to replace every lead pipe nationwide. Rep. Torres’ bill is a critical bridge to that clean water future and we thank him for proposing this commonsense legislation that we hope will garner strong, bipartisan support.”
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, lead’s “effects on the brain are similar to those of others in the same category – metals like mercury and aluminum, plasticizers such as BPA, chemical solvents, pesticides, and some types of mold, to name a few.” Gothamist found that “an estimated 30% of pipes delivering water to New York City buildings may have lead. The EPA estimated New York is one of the top six states with the highest number of lead services lines — with at least 494,000 in 2023.
The full bill text can be viewed here.