State Department of Health to fund lead pipe replacements in Glen Cove

The City of Glen Cove will be accepting an amount not to exceed $627,327 grant from the New York State Department of Health to fund new water pipes as part of the NYS DOH Lead Service Line Replacement Program. 

“We’re going to replace lead lines, which is a good thing and we’re required to contribute zero,” said Rocco Graziosi, the project manager at Public Works who is heading the operation. 

New York’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 required the DOH to implement the LSLRP in an effort to prevent lead exposure. According to the DOH, service pipes that contain lead can corrode, causing lead to enter drinking water. And while a lead service line does not mean a household has a lead issue, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that contaminated drinking water can contribute 20 percent or more to a person’s lead exposure and infants who consume formula can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from contaminated water. 

LSLRP funds are used to replace the entire length of residential lead service lines. Awarded municipalities, like Glen Cove, are required to coordinate the lead service line replacement, submitting related costs to the state for reimbursement. City employees are required to work with homeowners to confirm the presence of lead service lines that would need to be replaced.  

Graziosi said that once the city receives final approval from the state, notices will be sent out to residents in their water bills on how to check for the presence of lead pipes. He noted that he doesn’t think there are many in Glen Cove and that older houses are more likely to have it. 

Once a resident believes they have a lead pipe, a DPW employee will confirm the presence of it and the resident will be required to submit an application. Graziosi said that the resident shouldn’t lose water for too long. They will be required to flush out any lead that could have gotten into the water. 

The city will front the money and will then be reimbursed by the state.