Lead-contamination in drinking water in Washington, D.C., became a crisis in 2004, with lead concentrations exceeding those in Flint, MI. In the decades since, very few pipes were replaced. Property owners were required to share the replacement cost, resulting in replacements being concentrated in affluent areas. Lead exposure continued in under-resourced neighborhoods, disproportionately affecting D.C.'s Black residents. In 2019, a new plan was instituted in which D.C. Water will be provided with funds to cover the full pipe replacement cost and construction will proceed on a block-by-block basis. Two predominantly Black wards will be first up for replacements.