New Report Sees Barriers, Solutions, and Successes for NY’s Lead Pipe Replacement Programs

By Izel Talu

No sugar coating, there is no such thing as a “safe amount of lead” in drinking water. Lead is a metal that is toxic to humans and even trace amounts can have serious consequences on our health. Exposure to lead in drinking water is heavily associated with delayed neurological and physical development, learning disabilities, and increased behavioral issues in children. For adults, lead buildup has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease, reproductive issues, and mood disorders. The reality is, these are not distant or abstract threats, as New York State has the 5th highest total lead service lines in the United States, affecting millions of residents daily.

With an estimated 555,696 active lead service lines (LSLs) in New York State alone, the burden of this issue is not equally distributed. The presence of these lines are heavily concentrated in low income or minority dominated communities where infrastructure has not been renewed. Due to the lack of funding in these areas, residents continue to rely on lead tainted water; ultimately making this an environmental justice issue. 

New York’s Effort to Replace LSLs

In recent years, New York state has enacted various programs and initiatives to kickstart their LSL replacement journey. A recent report, “Breaking Barriers to Lead Service Line Replacement in New York,” conducted by the Environmental Policy Innovation Center and Environmental Advocates New York, details the timeline of New York’s work towards replacing these lines, citing both legislative and financial milestones, as well as some of the roadblocks that have stunted progress. 

Lead Service Line Replacement Program (2017):

Enacted by the New York Service Department of Health, this program issued funding to local governments across the state to dig up these LSLs. From 2017 to 2019, $30 million was granted to 43 communities and allowed for over 3,000 lines to be replaced statewide. While this initiative proved to be a very productive start, this would only be a drop in the bucket regarding the estimated 552,000 lines that also need to be addressed. 

Lead Pipe Right to Know Act (2023): 

This law, a priority for NYLCV that was signed into law by Governor Hochul augments the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) policy concerning service line inventories, requiring all water utilities to submit an initial LSL inventory and summary to the New York Department of Health followed by an annual renewal of both. This law requires the Department of Health to publish these reports and create/link interactive maps for the inventories of systems serving more than 10,000 people. This effort would aim to increase public knowledge concerning the location and prevalence of lead pipes throughout the state. 

Part UU of New York State Budget’s Transportation, Economic Development, and Environmental Conservation budget bill (2023): 

This legislation allows municipalities to issue bonds towards replacing both public and private lines under a thirty year “probable usefulness” clause. Additionally, this section of the bill would allow public schools  access to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, a program that issues low interest financing for the replacement or repair of water infrastructure. 

 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Loan Forgiveness (2024):

A state-funded program enacted by Governor Kathy Hochul that would improve the affordability of LSL replacements. Over $90 million in loans were forgiven in low-income  communities across cities like Rochester and Poughkeepsie. In New York City, replacement of LSLs are currently offered to eligible homeowners in the Bronx and Queens; two especially affected boroughs in the metropolitan area. 

Where Gaps Arise 

While the combined effort of these measures have been appreciated and have contributed greatly to the overall goal of replacing all lead pipes, this report cites the demand of the LSL issues heavily overshadowing the supply of the funds issued. Given that a full replacement of an LSL, including both public and private sides of the line, costs between $7,500 to $25,000, the strategic use and acquisition of funds is vital. This would not be the only hindrance in progress either, as the task of replacing the private side LSLs, lack of clarity around permissible use of these municipal resources, challenges in accessing State Revolving Funds (SRFs), technological limitations, and an understaffed workforce to actually conduct these replacements have become persistent roadblocks as well. 

To address these issues, New York State has proposed two initiatives, the Find Lead Pipes Faster Act, introduced in May 2024 that would allow for water utilities to conduct free service line inspections, and the Lead Pipe Replacement Act introduced in April 2025. The Lead Pipe Replacement Act in particular holds particular promise to the statewide replacement of all LSLs, as it charts an equitable and efficient path to full removal of all lines in New York by 2037, with a centralized approach to removal by the water system with no direct charge to the customer/homeowner and a commitment to using copper piping. 

So What’s Next? 

 Through the analysis of the progress already made by the state and the issues that still pose difficulties, the report has proposed several recommendations to close these gaps and accelerate progress.

• Financial Recommendations:
  • Leverage set-aside funding to help under-resourced communities and lower loan requirements necessary to facilitate replacement. 
  • Improve replacement program transparency and provide support to systems who cannot access State Revolving Funds.
  • Enable efficient funding, procurement, and contracting to implement cost-effective LSL replacements fueled by public funds
• Legal Recommendations:
  • Authorize the use of municipal resources to enable accelerated private side LSL replacements.
  • Simplifying property access for LSL replacement by enacting automatic enrollment policies for property owners.
  • Channel state funds into LSL replacement financial gaps through codified bills, prioritizing funds for lower-income communities.

Success Ahead?

The strive to replace LSLs and provide safe and reliable water infrastructure across the state of New York is a rewarding ambition for all parties. By eliminating lead from drinking water in schools, homes, and communities statewide, New York would not only improve the quality of life and health of its own residents, but set an expectation for the rest of the nation to follow. The groundwork has already been set, now it’s time to build up towards lasting change and universal water safety. 

Izel Talu is a 2025 Fall Intern at NYLCV. She is a fourth-year student at New York University, majoring in International Relations and Data Science. To learn more about Izel, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/izel-talu-238175247