CITY GETS $500G TO REPLACE WATER LINES
State program established to replace lead pipes that pose health risks
TROY, N.Y. » The city is in line to receive more than a halfmillion dollars from New York state to help it replace lead water lines.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that Troy was among 26 municipalities across the state to divvy up $20 million made available through the state Health Department’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program. The cities of Albany, Schenectady and Troy will evenly share in a $1.55 million Capital Region award, with each getting just over $516,000.
“These critical improve- ments to New York’s drinking water infrastructure are vital to protecting public health and to laying the foundation for future growth and economic prosperity in these communities,” Cuomo said in a news release announcing the awards. “With this $20 million award, we are helping to protect residents and their families across this state and are creating a stronger, healthier New York.”
The Clean Water Infrastructure Act was established earlier this year, with funding including in the current state budget. Municipalities were determined to be eligible to participate in the Lead Service Line Replacement Program
based on the percentage of children with elevated lead levels in their bloodstream, median household income and the number of homes built before 1939.
“Public health begins with access to clean drinking water, and reducing lead exposure, especially in children, should always be a top priority,” state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in the release. “This statewide program to replace residential lead pipes in areas of the state that need it most will improve the health of New Yorkers.”
The grant money will be used to replace lead service lines that connect municipal water mains to homes, according to state officials. Mayor Patrick Madden said the city will develop a program over the winter that will allow crews to replace as many as they can of the small lines that connect individual homes to larger lines that distribute water from the city treatment plant off Northern Drive.
“It is — no pun intended — a drop in the bucket,”
Madden admitted.
The city’s aging infrastructure has been a continuing issue throughout Madden’s first two years as mayor. Less than three weeks after taking office in January 2016, Madden had to deal with a massive water main break in Lansingburgh that disrupted water service throughout the city, as well as nine surrounding municipalities that purchase their drinking water from Troy, for a week while crews from both the city and Troy Boiler Works repaired the main transmission line that feeds the citywide distribution system.
About a mile of the 110-year- old, 33-inch, riveted steel line was replaced this year with 36inch ductile iron pipe, which not only will be more durable than its predecessor, but will also be easier to repair when it does experience routine breaks. That $3.2 million project was paid for by grant funding and low-interest financing through the state Water Infrastructure Improvement Act and Environmental Facilities Corp.
Even if this latest grant were available to pay for
the replacement of larger transmission lines, Madden said very few of those use lead pipes
New York City received more than a quarter of the latest funding, more than $ 5.3 million, while grants to other communities ranged from the $516,565 awarded to the three Capital Region cities to $698,314 awarded to the Central New York cities of Syracuse and Auburn.
According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, exposing children to lead can have major health consequences, including damage to central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, impaired hearing and impaired formation and function of blood cells. Lead can also have drastic health consequences for pregnant women, including premature birth and reduced growth of the fetus.
“The health risks associated with lead in our water are completely clear,” said Assemblyman Phil Steck, D- Colonie. “Replacing our outdated drinking water infrastructure will make a huge difference for our community and help protect our health and the health of our children.”