As we know, lead is a toxic metal and the science is clear: there is no safe level of lead exposure. Even a small amount of lead exposure can have serious, lifelong consequences. This is especially concerning for young children, including delayed development, learning difficulties, hearing, speech and behavioral problems. Drinking water contamination is just one example of a lead exposure pathway.

During National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (Oct. 25–31), we want to draw attention to a federal mandate requiring the removal of lead drinking water pipes to reduce community exposure. We also want to highlight a local proposal to ensure these pipes are properly tracked once removed.

New York City’s drinking water supply is lead-free. However, there is a risk that lead contamination may occur at the point where the water is delivered, specifically, from the pipe that connects the water main in the street to each individual building, known as the “service line.” If a service line is made of lead or contains lead components, there’s a possibility that this toxin may be introduced or “leached” into the water under certain conditions (i.e., water with a higher than usual PH level sitting idle in a corroding pipe for six to eight hours).

Lead service lines are typically found in smaller buildings built before 1961. Southeast Queens is an area of particular concern, as approximately nine out of every ten homes were built pre-1961, and most are single-family homes. The city’s inventory has already identified around 18,000 lead service lines in the area, and another 8,000 service lines remain unidentified.

In Southeast Queens, where homeownership has long been a source of pride and generational stability, these numbers are especially concerning. Families have invested in their homes and neighborhoods for decades, and they deserve to know that the infrastructure serving those homes is safe. That includes knowing how the City plans to manage the removal and disposal of lead pipes without introducing additional environmental risks to their communities.

The days of lead service lines are numbered. Nearly all lead service lines in our nation – at least 4 million and possibly more – will be required to have been removed over a ten-year period by 2037 as mandated by the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements . The question is, what will happen to all of those lead pipes once they are removed? The answer is unclear, as states and localities are left to figure this out.

A clear plan for the responsible disposal must be a topic of conversation in New York City, which will remove at least 120,000 of these pipes, yielding thousands of pounds of hazardous lead waste. It is a major concern and something that the city should prepare for now so we can avoid illegal or irresponsible dumping of these materials, which could in turn contaminate our parks, soil and water, poisoning our children down the line.

Replacing lead pipes is an important public health investment, but our responsibility cannot end once those pipes are pulled from the ground. We need to know where they go, how they are handled and where they ultimately end up. Without that information, we risk addressing one environmental hazard while leaving communities vulnerable to another.

The fix is simple: we need a mechanism to know where these pipes go when they are removed. Fortunately, there’s a proposal before the NYC Council, Intro 850 , that would require the NYC Department of Environmental Protection to publish detailed reporting on lead pipe removal. Introduced by Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams, this legislation would help establish a clearer process for tracking these materials from removal through disposal. Residents should be able to trust that the work being done to protect their drinking water is not creating additional risks elsewhere in their communities. This would include the location where each lead pipe is removed, stored and ultimately disposed of. Such thorough accounting is one of our strongest tools against negligence and mishandling of hazardous lead pipes. As the saying goes, “you cannot manage what you cannot measure,” and New York City should be keeping a closer eye on this issue to avoid an unintended nuisance and possible health concern.

This Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and every week, take some steps to protect yourself and your family from lead in drinking water. Here are some tips from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection:

1. Flush your tap water in the morning until you notice a colder water temperature. This usually takes about one to two minutes. The colder water is an indication that the water sitting in your home piping overnight has been flushed and you are pulling fresh water from the City’s water mains.

2. Clean the faucet’s screen (also known as an aerator) periodically. In some homes, small particles containing lead can get trapped in these devices.

3. Use a water filter certified by the NSF or UL for lead removal. These can either be installed under a sink or used as a pitcher.

4. The surest way to remove lead from your drinking water is to replace your lead water service line and/or lead plumbing fixtures in your home. You can do that by hiring a licensed master plumber.

As New York City moves forward with replacing lead service lines, we have an opportunity to ensure that their removal and disposal are handled responsibly. Intro 850 would provide a clearer picture of where these materials go and help the City identify potential gaps in the process. It's a practical step toward making sure that efforts to reduce lead exposure are carried through from start to finish.