Rochester Reporter

The City of Rochester has reached a significant milestone in its efforts to address lead contamination in drinking water. Mayor Malik D. Evans announced that the City Water Bureau has submitted its Lead Water Service Line Inventory to the New York State Department of Health, fulfilling a key requirement under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations on lead in drinking water.

As part of this initiative, the city will begin notifying residents with service lines identified as containing lead or having unknown materials. The notification letters will provide information on when these lines are scheduled for replacement and offer guidance on minimizing lead exposure in drinking water.

“We are making tremendous progress to remove every lead water service line,” stated Mayor Evans. He emphasized that the notices aim to inform residents about the presence of lead pipes without causing alarm, highlighting Rochester's leadership in removing lead from its municipal water supply.

The inventory and subsequent notifications are integral components of Rochester’s “Get the Lead Out Together” program, which aims to eliminate all lead-containing service lines by 2030. Additional details about this program can be accessed at www.cityofrochester.gov/lead, where residents can check their service line materials and receive updates on ongoing replacement projects.

By November 1st, approximately 13,000 customers with confirmed lead service lines will receive notices. Additionally, 3,300 customers with galvanized steel lines formerly downstream from a lead service and another 17,000 with unknown material lines will also be informed. Customers with non-lead risk materials like copper or plastic will not receive any notice.

This initiative aligns with broader national efforts to eradicate lead from community infrastructures. In January 2023, Mayor Evans participated in discussions at the White House Lead Pipe Summit concerning local issues related to this matter.

To date, over 8,100 lead service lines have been replaced by the city. The project is progressing at an estimated rate of nearly 3,000 replacements per year thanks to more than $100 million in funding from both the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, alongside support from state health and environmental agencies.