Res. No. 1279
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature and the Governor to earmark $100 million annually and to amend the New York State Lead Service Line Replacement Program to be a more effective program.
By Council Member Cornegy
Whereas, Lead is a common metal that was historically used in paint, plumbing pipes, faucets and also in solder that was used on pipes; and
Whereas, According to New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), water tests from New York City’s reservoirs and the City’s distribution water main system are virtually lead free, but the drinking water could still be a source of lead exposure since certain service pipes, that connect to the City’s distribution water main system, can contain lead, and should these pipes corrode, lead could enter the drinking water; and
Whereas, According to a 2018 report from the New York City Independent Budget Office, most of the lead contamination in New York City’s water is attributed to old lead service lines in small, older houses, and more than 6 percent of sampled homes in community districts that included neighborhoods such as Bedford Stuyvesant, Maspeth, Ridgewood, Co-Op City, Riverdale and South Beach had lead levels above the Environmental Protection Agency limit; and
Whereas, New York State established the Lead Service Line Replacement Program to replaces the entire length of the residential lead service line from the municipal water source to the residence for low income households; and
Whereas, On August 2019, the New York State Department of Health reported that the estimated award for the Lead Service Line Replacement Program for New York City was $5,323,904; and
Whereas, On October 4, 2019 the Environmental Advocates of New York issued a request advocating for $100 million in new funding in the upcoming state budget for the Lead Service Line Replacement Program; and
Whereas, More funds will be needed annually to completely replace all lead service pipes since according to the Environmental Advocates of New York there are an estimated 360,000 lead pipes in New York State that need to be replaced and this is estimated to cost $1 billion; and
Whereas, New York State should not wait until the health and well-being of its residents are negatively impacted before there are adequate funds to replace the lead service line pipes; and
Whereas, All households in New York State, impacted by a lead service line, should be able to apply to the Lead Service Line Replacement Program since there is no safe level of lead exposure; and
Whereas, Lead service lines represent a risk of lead contamination and in order to eliminate that risk, every water utility in New York State should dig every single lead pipe out of the ground and replace it; now, therefore be it;
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature and the Governor to earmark $100 million annually and to amend the New York State Lead Service Line Replacement Program to be a more effective program.
JLC
LS 13435
2/07/2020