NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday that the city’s free lead service line replacement program has saved more than 900 homeowners in the Bronx and Queens more than $10,000 each, with more homeowners eligible to receive the no-cost replacement.
The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) runs the program, which is supported by $96 million in state and federal funding, including a recently awarded $14 million NYS grant and $10 million from the feds. City officials said the program is expected to remove up to 7,000 lead service lines from private properties in low-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods “disproportionately burdened by environmental pollution and the impacts of climate change.”
Lead will be switched out for copper, Mamdani said.
“We are going door to door to make sure New Yorkers can safely bring our city’s world-class drinking water from reservoirs upstate to their dining tables without having to choose between their health and a $10,000 bill,” he said. “In partnership with Gov. Hochul, we are replacing lead pipes with new, safe copper lines at no cost to eligible New York City homeowners.”
Water service lines connect individual properties to the city’s water mains. Because the lines are privately owned, property owners are generally responsible for their replacement, which can run New Yorkers more than $10,000. Through the DEP program, eligible homeowners can have lead or galvanized steel service lines replaced without spending a dime. (Galvanized pipes often have a coating to prevent rust and are found in older homes.)
“Ability to pay should never be an impediment to clean, safe drinking water,” Hochul said. “Since taking office we have made $10.6 billion available for water infrastructure projects across the state, and in the Bronx and Queens, that investment is saving eligible homeowners over $10,000. Working with Mayor Mamdani, we will continue to protect public drinking water in New York City by empowering residents to put their health first by getting the lead out cost-free.”
Who is eligible?
According to DEP, there are approximately 121,100 known lead or galvanized service lines across the Big Apple.
Replacement work has already been completed in Mount Eden, Fordham Heights, University Heights, Kingsbridge Heights, Belmont and Mount Hope in the Bronx. Work in other borough neighborhoods is underway in Melrose, Mott Haven, Concourse Village, Eastchester, Edenwald, Baychester, Williamsbridge, Norwood, Bedford Park, Pelham Gardens, Wakefield and Allerton, as well as Flushing, Murray Hill, Queensboro Hill and East Flushing in Queens.
City officials plan to expand the program to Soundview, Bronx, and Borough Park, Brooklyn, by the beginning of next year.
Eligible property owners receive letters directly from DEP with instructions on how to sign up for the lead service line replacement program, officials said.
“Protecting New Yorkers — especially our most vulnerable — is at the core of DEP’s mission and replacing privately owned lead service lines is a top priority for DEP because lead, even in small amounts, can cause irreversible harm to young children and to people who are pregnant or may become pregnant,” DEP Commissioner Lisa F. Garcia said. “I urge every eligible property owner to take advantage of this free program.”