Cheektowaga, N.Y. (WBEN) - Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) paid a visit to the Town of Cheektowaga on Monday to announce federal funding to help the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA) and its continued efforts to provide safer drinking water, free of lead for residents of the county.
A federal grant of nearly $960,000 has been awarded to the ECWA that will be used for its ongoing project to replace lead service lines leading to homes.
Costs for homeowners to replace decades-old lead service lines can reach thousands of dollars. ECWA’s project takes advantage of its economy of scale by allowing them to contract hundreds of replacements, lowering overall costs and preventing it from being passed onto families who are already struggling to make ends meet.
“Older communities like Western New York continue to deal with the toxic legacy of past practices, including the use of lead service lines,” said Kennedy during his visit Monday. “The science is settled, we know that there is no safe amount of lead, and kids across our region deserve to enter adulthood with every advantage we can provide. That’s why I was proud to secure this funding to ensure that the ECWA can continue to move towards its important target of removing all lead pipes.”
Replacing lead service lines is a recognized public health priority, with lead serving as a potent neurotoxin that leaches into drinking water and can cause irreversible cognitive damage, especially for children. To eliminate this widespread hazard, the EPA’s Lead & Copper Rule Improvements regulations mandate that water systems replace 100% of lead pipes nationwide by 2037.
To request a lead testing kit from the Erie County Water Authority, customers can call 716-849-8444. For more information, go to my.ecwa.org/GetTheLeadOut.
Nearly $960,000 has been dedicated to the ECWA
Nearly $960,000 has been dedicated to the ECWA
