Enacts the lead pipe right to know act requiring public water systems to take service line inventories and make such information available to the public.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6115
SPONSOR: Paulin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to enacting the lead
pipe right to know act
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this legislation is to make information about the number
and location of lead pipes easily accessible to the public and deci-
sion-makers, so that state and federal resources can be secured and
efficiently targeted to support local efforts to get the lead out of New
York's drinking water by removing all lead pipes.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 establishes that this act shall be known as the "Lead Pipe
Right to Know Act."
Section 2 amends the public health law by adding a new section 1114-b
including:
Defining the terms "service line," "gooseneck, pigtail, or connector,
"galvanized service line," and "covered public water system."
Directing covered public water systems to develop and regularly update a
service line inventory and summary form to identify the location, mate-
rial composition, and other information of all service lines connected
to its distribution system.
Requiring electronic submission of all inventories and summary forms to
the Department of Health (DOH), which would publish them on the Depart-
ment's website.
Directing covered public water systems that operate their own websites
to make its most recent service line inventory and summary form avail-
able on its website.
Directing DOH to establish an interactive map or maps of service line
inventories from covered public water systems serving more than 10,000
people that would be searchable by address, color coded where applica-
ble, and updated at least annually.
Section 3 establishes the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Lead service, lines pose one of the greatest threats to drinking water
in New York. These water pipes, which connect water mains to the inter-
nal plumbing in homes and other buildings, can expose New Yorkers to a
dangerous neurotoxin when they turn on-the tap. There is no safe level
of lead in drinking water. Infants and fetuses are especially at risk.
However, few water utilities across the state have shared publicly how
many lead service lines are present in their distribution system and
where those lead service lines are located. Policymakers need this
information to understand the full scale and extent of the lead service
line problem. Accessing and visualizing this data will also ensure that
existing state and incoming federal funds earmarked for getting lead
service lines out of the ground are spent efficiently and equitably. New
York cannot fix what it cannot measure.
This bill codifies requirements by the US Environmental Protection Agen-
cy and guidance from the NYS Department of Health for each water utility
to develop a comprehensive inventory of all of the service lines in its
system by October 2024, and to regularly update those inventories with
new information. It also requires the NYS Department of Health to make
those inventories available on the department's website and to create
interactive maps allowing New Yorkers to easily learn their risk of lead
exposure.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A10582 (Gottfried), of 2022, referred to health. Same as S9291, of 2022,
referred to health.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Undetermined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
