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The City of Poughkeepsie is taking proactive measures to address the issue of lead service lines in the city's water supply. City officials have begun sending out letters to residents identified as having lead service lines, educating them about the potential risks and steps they can take to reduce their exposure to lead. This move does not necessarily indicate that the drinking water contains elevated levels of lead, but rather serves as a precautionary measure.
The city has also created a webpage where residents can access more information about lead exposure and how to mitigate it. The responsibility for replacing lead service lines primarily falls on homeowners, as the city only replaces their side of the lead service line when notified that the owner is fixing their side.
In addition to these efforts, the city has become eligible for $3.2 million in grants and over $8 million in interest-free loans to start lead service line replacement projects, according to an announcement by Mayor Yvonne Flowers. The funds are part of a federal initiative aimed at improving the quality of drinking water nationwide. The first phase of Poughkeepsie’s lead service line replacement project, an inventory study, is set to take place in 2024-2025 and is expected to be entirely funded with $2 million of this grant award.
While no amount of lead exposure is considered safe, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established regulations that mandate communities to take action if certain lead content levels are exceeded. In 1997, the city initiated treatment to substantially reduce corrosion in lead pipes. As of 2022, 90% of the customers tested had a lead content of the city's water of 1.8 parts per billion, which is below the EPA's threshold of 15 parts per billion.