A major lead water abatement push is underway in Erie County, with the goal of removing all lead service lines by the end of 2027.
A key component of the initiative is getting residents, daycare centers and private schools to provide water samples for lead testing.
It’s Erie County's responsibility to make sure there is access to safe drinking water, the head of the county's health department said.
“Lead poisoning is part of the larger health equity issues related to housing and environment, and there are no quick fixes to intractable problems like lead poisoning," said Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein. "This project alone will take the better part of the next decade, but this investment is so valuable in terms of human health.”
Erie County Water Authority is required by the EPA to ask for reports, but daycare centers and private schools may opt out of federal and state testing requirements. Public schools are instructed to test all potable water outlets every three years.
Testing at schools and daycares is essential because children are especially susceptible to the health risks of lead poisoning, said Kim Stewart, director of Help Me Grow Western New York.
"Families have trusted us with the most important people in their lives. Testing water is one way we honor that trust," she said. "So, again, lead exposure often has no signs, and that's what makes it dangerous."
Lead exposure can lead to inhibited growth and learning ability, especially for young children, according to the New York Department of Health.
Erie County residents interested may apply for testing to be performed at their facility or business on the water authority's website.
