U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced on Wednesday the proposed Healthy Homes Tax Credit Act, which would allow homeowners to claim a federal credit against income taxes of up to $5,000 for removing lead from household plumbing, as well as for radon and asbestos abatement.

Murphy indicated the bill aims to ward off drinking-water crises like that of Flint, Mich. According to Connecticut Department of Public Health data cited by Murphy, buildings constructed before 1950 are particularly at risk for having lead pipes or lead-based paint, with 30 percent of Connecticut’s housing stock built before that date.

“We’ve got to start thinking about ways to prevent a crisis like Flint from happening in Connecticut,” Murphy said in a written statement Wednesday. “In Connecticut, there are still hundreds of thousands of old homes that have lead paint and old pipes, and if we don’t do anything to remove them now, we’re going to pay the price down the road.”

At 9 a.m. Thursday, U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.) is holding a briefing in Washington, D.C. to discuss strategies to prevent future water crises.