More than a hundred miles of underground lead pipes that carry water into Buffalo homes will have to be dug up and replaced by 2037 under new federal guidelines proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The price tag could be as much as $400 million, according to Buffalo Water Board officials, who are relying on state and federal aid to pay a substantial portion.
The Environmental Protection Agency will soon strengthen regulations over lead in drinking water and will propose requiring that utilities actively replace harmful lead pipes.
Erie County Water Authority officials said they could be staring at a bill of $87 million to $206 million, depending on how many pipes are confirmed to be lead or galvanized steel. Unlike Buffalo Water, though, the Erie County Water Authority, which has about 500,000 customers, is unlikely to be eligible for federal grants to defray costs, county water officials said.
Public water system operators across the country are still digesting the details within 600 pages of the EPA’s proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which were released in late November. The new guidelines would require the elimination of all lead service lines within 10 years, at a pace of 10% per year, as well as improved lead testing protocols and…
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