MILWAUKEE — Robert Penner is passionate about making sure people have access to clean water. 

He is a part of the Get the Lead Out Coalition and on the coalition’s steering committee. He and other volunteers set up the “Clean Water for Pregnant People” program last year.

“The initiative was set up because we know there is a grave threat to people in the city of Milwaukee from lead contamination,” Penner said.

The CWPP is a free program available to pregnant people who live in the city and have lead laterals that connect their home to the water main. 

Penner said Milwaukee has nearly 75,000 homes that have lead lateral connections. That means that tens of thousands of people get their drinking water from lead pipes. 

Under the coalition’s program, pregnant women living in those homes can receive six cases of water for 12 months during and after their pregnancy.

“People that are particularly susceptible or pregnant people and their children in-utero,” said Penner. 

Since starting, this program has helped many people like Jamika Jones. This is her third pregnancy, and she said she signed up for the program as soon as she found out about it. 

“The water has helped me and my family out a whole lot,” Jones said. “Now I don’t have to worry about if the water is safe for me to drink.” 

She said the baby boy she is expecting is loving every drop. 

“It’s a blessing for me right now because this baby craves water,” she said. “With me being five months, it’s like this baby thinks water is soul food.”

The water comes in aluminum cans that can be recycled. The cases of water are donated from non-profit organization Canned Water 4 Kids.

Penner said this is just one step to solving a problem he hopes to see fixed permanently in the near future.

To learn more about the program and to see if you qualify, visit the program’s website here.