New York will receive more than $100 million from the federal government to help remove lead pipes from water systems across the state. There are a variety of health-related risks associated with lead, and several communities are dealing with aging infrastructure.

Earlier this week, elevated levels of lead were detected in Amsterdam.

It’s not a unique issue to the Carpet City, but it’s one of the latest communities to find lead in its drinking water. 

“Our 90th percentile sample, which is the gauge of whether you’re in violation or not, was 28 parts per billion,” said chief water plant operator Randy Gardinier.

That was in nine homes out of the 60 tested during a round of testing required by law. The national standard per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 15 parts per billion.

“It’s equivalent to 13 cents out of $10 million, to give people an idea,” Gardinier said about how elevated the levels are.

While a small amount, it's been disconcerting in a city that spent more than $1 million on a corrosion control project at its treatment plant last year.  

“It was a bit of a surprise,” Gardinier said. “But in talking with other colleagues after they’ve done corrosion control optimization, it does take time for the new chemistry to work.”

City officials say the water is contaminated by old lead service lines that run from the curb into people’s homes, not by the city’s water treatment system itself.

“We’re finding it’s about $10,000 per service line,” Gardinier said. “We just spent over a half a million dollars replacing 52 or 53 service lines.”

Those costs are hefty for most municipalities, which is why the federal government is prioritizing $129 million in New York via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“This is only the latest in those efforts to bolster the clean and safe drinking water our communities need,” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. “All while creating a steady stream of good-paying jobs.”

Municipalities like Amsterdam will be vying for a piece of that aid.

“We’ll be working with an EPA contractor and working to identify service lines, educate people,” Gardinier said.

In the meantime, city officials say the water is, by and large, safe to drink. For homeowners who suspect or know they’ve got lead service lines, there is a workaround by flushing out the line, which can consist of flushing a toilet and washing your hands.

“Once you do that, once that’s flushed out, that level of lead is not going to remain,” Gardinier explained.