A new report shows that New York has more than half a million lead water lines still in use, despite the state’s goal to phase out all lead pipes by 2037.
According to Environmental Advocates New York, service lines are the main source of lead in drinking water.
There are several industrial cities in Western New York with pre-1950s infrastructure, which means lead levels are a potential concern until the lines are updated, Rob Hayes, the organization’s senior director of clean water.
“There might be hundreds of thousands of residents in Western New York that are at risk of being exposed to a dangerous neurotoxin when they turn on the tap," he said. "To protect their health and to protect water quality, New York has to achieve 100% lead service line replacement.”
But even rural residents who might use well water should be wary of penitential contamination, Hayes said. They might not have lead service lines since they aren't connected to a water utilities distribution system but they still could have faucets or other fixtures with lead, or sodium and chloride getting into their water supply from road salt pollution, he said.
"That can actually cause piping corrosion inside their home and cause lead levels to spike," he said. "So really, the issue of lead in drinking water is an issue that concerns almost every New Yorker."
Certain local communities have been able to secure funding aid for the project, with Buffalo receiving $11.5 million through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Lockport netting just over $20 million for service line improvements.
