NEWBURGH – A $50 billion federal infrastructure bill will address water quality, and the City of Newburgh, with some lead water lines close to 140 years old, will benefit from this funding.
“There is going to be an historic investment to eliminate lead drinking water pipes and lead service pipes,” said Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, (D, NY-18). “Getting the lead out once and for all will change millions of lives for the better.”
Wayne Vradenburgh, Newburgh’s water superintendent, said the money is needed to help the city and homeowners, who are responsible for service from the water line to the meter.
“I’ve had customers that have had leaks on their services that have to pull that $10,000 out of their own savings account, 60, 70, 80-year-old folks. It’s dire. You’re really changing water quality and leak detection, too,” he said.
Vradenburgh said the city has already replaced over 100 lead services with funding from the Department of Health.
Lead is an issue here and many cities throughout America. Water is never safe with any amount of lead, which is odorless, colorless, and tasteless.
“It is a silent and deadly contaminant where it exists,” said Maloney, at a news conference Monday. “In 2022 alone, New York will receive over $400 million for improving water quality from this infrastructure (plan). That includes $115 million for lead service replacement, and over 40 million for addressing contaminants.”
