Albany Water Department Offering Reimbursement To Replace Lead Lines By 2040

WAMC Northeast Public Radio
Dave Lucas

Read the full article.

The Albany Water Department has launched a new program to aid homeowners in lead service replacements, part of an effort to eliminate lead service pipes in the city by 2040.

Officials say about 40 percent of homes in the city are hooked up to lead service lines. Water Commissioner Joe Coffey says Albany's Lead Service Replacement Program provides assistance to anyone – homeowners, landlords, and renters.

“This is the initial run at the program. So we're starting from like ground zero. And we wanted to get something out there to start with. So right now, if there's a leak on a water service and it's lead, the service has to be replaced, in its entirety. Before we had the city code changed, so if there's any kind of water service, the whole service needs to be replaced. Before you'd only replace half of it either from the house to the shut off, or the shut off to the main. The water department's always done from the main to the shut off, even though the homeowner owns it. Historically. We've done that.”