Lead Water Pipe Problems Being Addressed In Buffalo

There are parts of Buffalo and Western New York that are pretty old.

With most of the area having been largely built out prior to World War II, that means lots of neighborhoods in the 716 have some pretty old infrastructure. Just take a look at some of our roads, bridges, and buildings and you can see that for yourself.

It's no secret that Buffalo has lots of lead water service lines buried underground and those pipes are very old. Those pipes have been causing problems for the residents of Buffalo for years and thanks to some funds from the American Rescue Plan, the local government is going to have some additional resources to do something about that.

Officials estimate that there are over 40,000 lead water lines still feeding homes in Buffalo. An additional $10 million in federal funds have been added to funds the City of Buffalo has already secured to make line replacements. Several hundred lines have already been replaced and work is scheduled to continue throughout the remainder of the year.

City officials are also working on a new tool that will allow residents to view a map of the city and see exactly where the lead lines are. The company that officials are partnering with has already assisted cities like Flint and Detroit, Michigan, in addressing their lead water pipe issues.

This is welcome news for people who live in Buffalo and the first ring suburbs. I live in the city and my house has lead water service lines. I look forward to the day when the crews get to my neighborhood and replace our lines.

If you have questions about Buffalo's lead pipe replacement process, you can check the City website here.