Groups calling on the state for funding to replace lead pipes in Troy, other cities
ALBANY, NY (WRGB) — A group including legislators, county leaders and residents will gather to demand the state to invest in the project to replace lead pipes in Troy.
They're urging New York leaders to include important funding in the final version of the state budget.
MORE: Rensselaer County legislature urges Gov. Hochul to help Troy fund lead pipe replacements
The city has a plan to replace all lead service lines, but says it needs more funding to stop the costs from being passed on to homeowners or taxpayers.
It's estimated there are more than 360 thousand lead pipes in New York.
"In the City of Troy alone, 4500 lines need to be replaced" said NY ASM. (D) Cohoes John McDonald "Pat Fahey's here from Albany, 14,000 lines need to be replaced, its going to take time, its going to take strategy and a process and its going to take financial resources."
Advocates are calling for more state funding to be invested in replacing lead water lines.
Governor Hochul has already pledged 500 million in her budget for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act.
Within that budget proposal though it did not specify where the money would go.
Lawmakers today advocated to have a line item in the budget just for the lead line removal program.
"If we don't do it now" said NY ASM. (D) Ithaca Anna Kelles "we will be dealing with the consequences for generations."
Lawmakers from all over New York coming together with one goal, to get all the lead service lines out of the State as quickly as possible.
"The issue is there is not enough funding each year" said NY ASM. (D) Rotterdam Angelo Santabarbara "so what happens is they run out of funding they only do a certain amount of lines and the rest remain year after year and everything that you heard here today the damage that is being done, the water that is being contaminated that continues, completely unacceptable, the funding is there."
Senators, Assembly members, and local officials are calling for 50 million dollars to be set aside in the State Budget to specifically go to the Department of Health’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program.
The average cost to replace a line can range anywhere from 5 thousand to 12 thousand dollars.
Several communities in our area have recently detected elevated lead levels, raising alarms that now is the time to fund these projects.
"Were doing the inventory now" said City of Schenectady (D) Mayor Gary McCarthy "so it's any house depending on when it was built could potentially have lead lines it in."
Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy could not provide an estimated number of lead lines throughout his city or where they could be located.
"I've always thought we've had really good water" said Schenectady resident Michelle Dutkowski "and especially our tap water has been known to be good and the best around so it's a little bit concerning."
Mayor McCarthy did say that in the past the City has participated in past programs to replace lead lines like on Green Street, and when the City was working on Sewer issues.
"This legislation would give more money to localities across the state" said Mayor McCarthy "including Schenectady so were taking it on a step by step basis and working toward a long term solution."
Many lawmakers today have said that the 50 million will NOT cover all of the service line replacements, but it is a start.
We did reach out to both candidates running against Mayor McCarthy and Matt Nelligan said:
"Most of our residents simply cannot afford this work and we are already paying high property taxes. If the city does get money from the State it ought to match that money with Federal pandemic relief money that is still remaining."
We have not heard back yet from McCarthy's other opponent Marion Porterfield on the lead issue, but we will update our website once we do.
MORE: Will lead water pipe replacements cost taxpayers?
