A new report finds lead pipe inventories of New York State water systems are not entirely accurate. The Rockefeller Institute of Government’s report notes 8% of the state’s nearly 3,000 water systems don’t have inventories. It also finds larger municipal water systems such as those in Buffalo and Syracuse could identify what most pipes were made of. But smaller systems still have a higher number of unknown lines.
Laura Rabinow, director of research at the Rockefeller Institute, said these inaccuracies stem from several factors.
“Lack of familiarity with the kind of new templates and reporting processes involved in this,” she explained. “It’s the first time everybody’s doing it, and so understandably, there are going to be some learning curves there.”
Other issues include incomplete historical records, the availability of staff to work on these inventories, and data validation by the state.
While these inconsistencies and challenges are expected, Rabinow noted that it is important to get the information correct now. A baseline inventory for New York State is required by 2027 to serve as the basis for federal lead pipe replacement plans.
The report estimates replacing all of New York’s lead pipes will cost a little more than three and a half billion dollars – $1 billion more than previous estimates. However, Rabinow said, if the data gaps aren’t filled, this will impact plans for lead pipe removal going forward.
“Challenges, certainly, in terms of efficiently, effectively and equitably distributing them,” she continued. “If we don’t know where they’re most needed, it’s hard to say where we should put resources or where those are best placed.”
New York is receiving around $115 million annually through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace lead service lines during a five-year period. While $700 million in state and federal funds have been spent on lead service line replacement, an additional $3 billion would be needed to replace all lead service lines by 2037.
Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications.