Lead pipes throughout Elmira are expected to be replaced within the next two years.

That means around 600 pipes will have to be dug up for upgrades. The water board is getting help from the city with a $660,000 grant.

“This is very important,” said Water Board General Manager Mark LaDouce. “This is going to help a lot. Replacing these service lines is something we've been working on for years. They used lead for service lines up until the late 1920s or so and after that it was mainly cooper, some steel."

Roughly 1,000 service lines in the city are lead based, with some nearly 100-years-old.