What would it take to replace New York City’s 550K lead pipes?

New York City has more than 550,000 lead pipes that must be replaced by 2037. Environmental groups say the best chance of that happening is if the state and city governments take over the work.

The 2024 federal mandate calls for the replacement of all the lead pipes that connect buildings to the main water line. But in New York City and much of the state, these pipes are privately owned and land owners are on the hook to replace them.

A recent report by environmental nonprofits the Environmental Policy Innovation Center and Environmental Advocates New York argues that shifting the responsibility to state and local governments would make the process more efficient, cost-effective and faster.

“It should be a no-brainer; what we’re lacking is the political will,” said Joshua Klainberg, senior vice president of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “ It should be a no-brainer for the public health side, but it should also be a no-brainer in that the federal government is telling every public water supplier.”

According to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the average cost for a building owner to replace a lead line is about $10,000. But cost is only partly to blame for the slow progress on eradicating lead from the drinking water system.

Land owners also have to get all the necessary permits. While Klainberg said the job is less than a day’s work, it usually requires opening up the street to access the pipes.

The report states that if governments take over the replacement work, it will reduce the redundancy of opening the street multiple times for each land owner. The construction could be done block by block, reducing costs.

“There is an economy of scale here,” Klainberg said. “You can make sure you get the material at a better price. You can line up labor agreements so that you can keep costs under control and consistent and most importantly, the assurance that the work is being done and properly.”

Getting the state or local government to take it over would also come with its challenges.

The New York State Department of Health told Gothamist that water suppliers such as the New York City Department of Environmental Protection are responsible for dealing with the lead service lines, and the state only performs regulatory oversight and administers some grant and loan programs.

“It would be logistically and financially unrealistic for the state to take on managing a $4 billion construction project with execution spanning nearly 3,000 water suppliers systems throughout the state,” Erin Clary, a spokesperson for the state health department, wrote via email.

With $72 million in federal funds, New York City is overseeing some of the pipe replacement in disadvantaged communities in the Bronx and Queens over the next three years. The city is expecting another $48 million to extend this program an additional two years serving residents in Brooklyn. These programs represent a small fraction of the pipes that need to be replaced. Klainberg said this will replace about 5% of the lead service lines currently in place.

The city’s environmental protection agency told Gothamist that a citywide initiative would likely require legislative changes at the state level.

“As a public utility, DEP’s spending is heavily regulated and restricted. We cannot use rate-payer money (money collected from water bills) to pay for alterations, repairs or improvements to privately owned property,” NYC DEP spokesperson Robert Wolejsza wrote via email. “Hypothetically, if laws were changed and DEP were required to cover the cost of replacing all lead service lines across New York City, it would result in a significant increase in water rates for everyone; again, this is because our projects are funded through water bill revenue.”

There is at least one example in the state where a local government has taken over the responsibility of replacing the pipes.

Rochester began its lead pipe replacement program in 2017, shortly after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, according to the report by the environmental groups. The municipal government set a goal of 100% lead pipe replacement by 2030. Rochester is nearly halfway to its goal. The town has allocated funds and is doing the work of replacing the lead pipes for property owners.

“Rochester provides lead pipe replacements at no direct cost to customers, which makes gaining customer consent easier and speeds up replacements,” Hayes said. “The city also prioritizes replacements in environmental justice communities and areas of the city where streets are due to be repaved.”

Environmental activists also point to the public health issues that lead pipes pose as a reason for the government to take over the work.

According to a 2023 report, replacing lead service lines in New York would result in a statewide savings of just over $42 billion over the next 35 years in public health costs. Nearly 90% of the health costs savings come from reduced cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and high blood pressure.

Even small amounts of lead are harmful, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The heavy metal can cause organ and neurological damage. In children, it causes growth and development delays, including lower IQs.

“It’s no joke,” Klainberg said. “Once you get a little bit of exposure, it doesn’t leave your body, and over time, unfortunately, if it accumulates the symptoms get worse and worse.”