Rochester City Council approves spending $2M to replace lead pipes

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester City Council gave unanimous approval to several proposals on Wednesday focused on improving the city’s infrastructure, including replacing lead pipes.

Right now, almost one in three service lines connecting homes and businesses to water mains are made of lead in the city. Council members gave the city permission to spend more than $2 million in grant money to replace residential lead water pipes in the city and $100,000 to raise awareness of the dangers of lead paint.

The city anticipates that more than 3,000 pipes will need replacing with priority given to streets with a history of high lead levels or more vulnerable populations. Construction is expected to begin next summer and completed by the summer of 2027.

The council also approved the money for the last phase of the Inner Loop North transformation project and repairs to city libraries.

RELATED:

• One in three Rochester water lines contains lead, but city is working to replace them (Aug. 1)
• City making progress on lead pipe replacement, but still has a ways to go (June 7)