Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson (D-104) praised the Biden Administration’s new requirement to replace all lead pipes in the U.S. over the next decade.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the regulation, forcing utilities to identify and replace lead service lines in the next 10 years.

Jacobson, who has long fought for replacement of lead service lines, called the move “a huge step forward to ensure that no one is exposed to lead in their drinking water – especially children.”

The new rule also lowers the allowable amount of lead from 15 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion. Lead contamination in drinking water is a serious health hazard that causes brain damage and developmental disorders in children, as well as cardiovascular and fertility issues in adults.

“While the new standards are important, there is no acceptable level of lead in our drinking water,” said Jacobson.

The EPA also announced another $2.6 billion in Federal funding to support lead pipe replacement. New York State has already received $500 million in Federal funding to replace lead-contaminated water lines. Jacobson also helped reinstate the full $500-million funding from the State’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA) in the 2024-25 budget, a portion of which goes toward lead line replacement.

After meeting with EPA and State Health Department representatives, Jacobson helped the Cities of Newburgh and Poughkeepsie to apply for more funding. This money was in addition to the State’s Lead Service Line Replacement program, launched in 2017 to help homeowners replace their contaminated lines. Jacobson was also successful in getting more funding for this program.

It costs an average of $10,000-$12,000 to replace a line. This cost drops dramatically if a city can replace pipes in an entire neighborhood, rather than doing the work piecemeal.

Jacobson said he’ll continue to fight for funding, so no one is poisoned by lead in their drinking water.