Water Infrastructure Tool Copyrighted to Support EPA, HUD, – GlobeNewswire

Report on the LSLRCC and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

Environmental & Public Health International (EPHI) has secured federal copyright protection for its Lead Service Line Replacement Cost Calculator (LSLRCC). This report details the tool’s function, its alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and its role in supporting national public health and infrastructure initiatives. The copyright ensures the tool remains a free and accessible resource for communities, particularly those underserved, to plan for the replacement of hazardous lead service lines, thereby advancing global and national goals for health, equity, and sustainable infrastructure.

Advancing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The LSLRCC is a critical instrument for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its design and application directly contribute to progress on eight SDGs, with a significant impact on health, water quality, inequality, and urban development. The tool’s contribution was formally recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) during World Environment Day 2025.

2.1 Core SDG Contributions

The LSLRCC provides a tangible mechanism for achieving the following key SDGs:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being: By facilitating the efficient removal of lead from drinking water sources, the tool helps reduce exposure to a potent neurotoxin, thereby preventing adverse health effects and promoting well-being for all ages.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The calculator is fundamentally designed to support Target 6.1, which aims to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water. It empowers communities to plan and finance the necessary infrastructure upgrades to meet this goal.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: By providing a transparent, data-driven planning tool at no cost, the LSLRCC empowers historically marginalized and low-income communities to advocate for and secure equitable investment in their water infrastructure, reducing systemic inequalities in public health protection.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The tool contributes to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by improving essential public services. It enables strategic planning for resilient water systems, a cornerstone of sustainable urban development.

Support for National Regulatory and Funding Frameworks

The LSLRCC functions as a bridge between local planning needs and national policy objectives, enabling communities to meet federal standards and access critical funding. This alignment is crucial for the domestic implementation of the SDGs.

3.1 Alignment with Federal Agency Objectives

The tool supports the missions of several key federal agencies:

1. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): It assists communities in complying with the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), a primary regulation for ensuring water safety.
2. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): It aligns with HUD’s Healthy Homes initiatives by addressing a key environmental health hazard within residential areas.
3. Department of Agriculture (USDA): It supports the USDA’s mandate to modernize and improve water infrastructure in rural communities.

3.2 Enhancing Funding and Compliance

The LSLRCC strengthens a community’s ability to:

• Develop competitive applications for State Revolving Fund (SRF) financing.
• Leverage funding made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
• Create data-driven, equitable plans for lead service line replacement programs.

Tool Accessibility and Implementation

To maximize its impact on the SDGs, the LSLRCC has been designed for broad and equitable access.

4.1 Public Availability

• The tool is available free of charge via the EPHI website.
• It is offered in multiple languages to overcome barriers and ensure usability for diverse communities.

4.2 Recommended Use

EPHI encourages public agencies, Tribal governments, water utilities, and funding bodies to integrate the LSLRCC into their standard procedures for infrastructure planning and grant application development to accelerate the nationwide replacement of lead service lines.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being: The article explicitly names this goal. The entire initiative is centered on public health by addressing the dangers of “hazardous lead service lines” and reducing “lead exposure,” which directly impacts community health and well-being.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This goal is explicitly mentioned and is central to the article’s theme. The LSLRCC tool is designed to facilitate the replacement of lead pipes to “provide safe drinking water,” a fundamental component of clean water access.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article names this goal and highlights the tool’s focus on “environmental justice,” “infrastructure equity,” and empowering “underserved populations” and communities “historically burdened by lead exposure.” This directly addresses the goal of reducing inequalities in access to basic services.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Mentioned by name in the article, this goal is addressed through the focus on improving urban and rural infrastructure. The LSLRCC supports “cost-effective water infrastructure upgrades” and helps create safer, more resilient communities by preventing “future drinking water disasters.”

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
     
     Explanation: The article’s primary focus is on replacing “hazardous lead service lines” to mitigate “lead exposure.” Lead is a hazardous chemical, and its presence in drinking water is a form of water pollution. The tool aims to accelerate the removal of this contamination, thereby reducing related illnesses.

2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
     
     Explanation: The article states the tool’s purpose is to strengthen “efforts to provide safe drinking water to underserved populations.” By providing a free cost calculator, it helps make infrastructure upgrades more “cost-effective” and accessible, promoting equitable access to safe water.
   • Target 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.
     
     Explanation: The article notes that the LSLRCC “supports community-led infrastructure decisions.” By empowering local agencies, Tribal governments, and utilities with a free and accessible planning tool, it encourages local participation in water infrastructure management.

3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… economic or other status.
     
     Explanation: The tool is explicitly designed to promote “environmental justice” and “infrastructure equity.” The article emphasizes that the mission is to “empower all communities—especially those historically burdened by lead exposure,” which directly aligns with empowering and including marginalized groups.

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
     
     Explanation: Safe drinking water is a fundamental basic service. The LSLRCC facilitates “water infrastructure upgrades,” which is a critical step in ensuring communities have access to this service.
   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters.
     
     Explanation: EPHI’s mission, grounded in the “Flint Water Crisis,” is to “prevent future drinking water disasters.” The tool and associated training are proactive measures to build resilient water systems and prevent the health and economic impacts of such crises.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. For Targets 3.9 and 6.1

   • Implied Indicator: The number of lead service lines replaced. The article’s entire focus is on a tool to “accelerate lead service line replacements nationwide.” This is a direct, measurable outcome.
   • Implied Indicator: The proportion of the population, particularly in underserved communities, with access to safely managed drinking water free from lead contamination.

2. For Targets 6.b and 10.2

   • Implied Indicator: The number of public agencies, Tribal governments, and utilities that “integrate the LSLRCC into their planning and grant applications.” This measures the tool’s adoption and the empowerment of local communities.
   • Implied Indicator: The successful acquisition of “State Revolving Fund (SRF) financing under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)” by communities using the tool, especially those identified as promoting “environmental justice.”

3. For Targets 11.1 and 11.5

   • Implied Indicator: The number of communities that have completed “water infrastructure upgrades” using plans developed with the LSLRCC.
   • Implied Indicator: The number of “public water systems and regulators” who have received EPHI’s “hands-on drinking water training” to prevent future crises.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: globenewswire.com