Nearly $66 million in state grants have been awarded to communities across New York State to improve drinking water infrastructure by identifying and replacing lead service lines, Governor Kathy Hochul announced. The funding is part of the Lead Infrastructure Forgiveness and Transformation (LIFT) Grants initiative, which aims to help local governments pay for these projects.
“Protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers is my number one priority — that’s why we’re investing in grants across the state so that communities can make the critical improvements they need,” Governor Hochul said. “Every family deserves clean, safe drinking water, and these grants will help us make that goal a reality.”
Lead can enter drinking water when plumbing materials containing lead corrode, with lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures being common sources. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes connecting them to water mains. The new funding will be used by municipalities to cover costs of lead service line replacement projects that received federal support through the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act (IIJA), but whose expenses were not fully covered by those federal grants. These loan forgiveness grants will pay off the financing component of municipal funding upon project completion, ensuring local ratepayers do not bear the full cost.
The LIFT initiative combines state and federal resources to ease fiscal pressure on local governments while allowing for more extensive replacement of lead service lines. Funding is specifically targeted at historically disadvantaged communities, prioritizing those with lower median household incomes, higher poverty rates than the statewide average, or where at least half of a project serves an environmental justice community.
Communities receiving awards include Buffalo ($3.45 million), Gloversville ($1.35 million), Lockport ($10.47 million), Mohawk Valley Water Authority ($3.82 million), New York City areas in the Bronx and Brooklyn ($14 million), Oswego ($4.77 million), Poughkeepsie ($14 million), and Rochester ($14 million).
New York State’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program has previously invested $30 million statewide, resulting in 3,574 lead service lines replaced so far.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald stated: “Governor Hochul stands by the New York State Department of Health in her commitment to safeguard the drinking water of all New Yorkers by eliminating lead pipes in water delivery lines. New York is committed to removing health disparities by targeted funding for underserved communities so that we may all be afforded the basic right to safe drinking water.”
Maureen A. Coleman, President and CEO of the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC), said: “Affordability is central to EFC’s mission. By providing this critical funding, Governor Hochul is helping communities replace lead service lines without passing unsustainable costs on to local ratepayers. Every New Yorker deserves access to safe, clean drinking water, and this investment ensures that cost is not a barrier to making that a reality in underserved communities.”
The state continues its investments in water infrastructure with over $3.4 billion allocated from EFC for local projects during Fiscal Year 2025 alone; another $500 million was included for clean water infrastructure in next year’s budget as announced by Governor Hochul—bringing total investment since 2017 up to $6 billion.
Additional funding includes resources from voter-approved measures such as the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 which supports updates for aging infrastructure and protection against climate-related risks.
The IIJA provides $15 billion nationwide for identifying and replacing lead service lines; it requires nearly half these funds go as grants or loan forgiveness specifically benefiting disadvantaged communities based on need assessments conducted nationally.
State Senator Gustavo Rivera said: “This investment by Governor Hochul will help local governments cover the costs of lead service line replacement projects partly funded by the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act and primarily located in low income communities like The Bronx while protecting New Yorkers’ pockets. As the proud sponsor of the Lead Pipe Right to Know Act, which was signed into law in 2023, and two other similar bills, we must continue to champion these efforts and finally ensure all New Yorkers have access to lead free drinking water.”
Assemblymember Amy Paulin added: “Ensuring every New Yorker has access to clean, safe drinking water is a fundamental responsibility of government, and this grant initiative is a major step forward in fulfilling that promise. By lifting the financial burden from local communities we’ll accelerate the removal of dangerous lead service lines. I applaud Governor Hochul for her commitment to replacing lead infrastructure and for ensuring that the health and safety of our residents remains a top priority.”
