Erie County Water Authority receives $1.6 million to replace lead pipes
Mackenzie Shuman
Jan 16, 2026
The Erie County Water Authority received $1.6 million to replace lead pipes, according to an announcement made Friday by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Tim Kennedy and ECWA Board Chairman Jerome Schad.
The funds were a part of a $3.6 million package to improve water infrastructure throughout Western New York secured by Gillibrand and Sen. Chuck Schumer, both Democrats of New York, and announced on Jan. 9.
"Families can't keep waiting," Gillibrand said during a Friday news conference to announce the funds. "That's why I've continued to work to bring federal dollars to address this problem in our communities throughout New York."
The Town of Ellicott also got $1 million to extend water service to an area where private wells were unsafe to drink. And the Town of Elma got $1 million to consolidate two old wastewater treatment plants.
By 2027, the Erie County Water Authority will be required by federal rules to deliver water with lead levels that do not exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new standard of 10 parts per billion, down from the previous limit of 15 parts per billion.
And by 2037, all lead pipes under its jurisdiction must be identified and replaced.
The ECWA has estimated it has around 6,000 service lines in its nine districts, and Schad said the water authority's goal is to get all the lead service lines out by 2028.
Exposure to even small amounts of lead can be dangerous to human health, especially to children.
In children, exposure to low levels of lead has been linked to central and peripheral nervous system damage, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing and impaired formation and function of blood cells, according to the EPA.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said she wants the state to spend $3.75 billion on clean-water projects over a five-year period.
"Because of the past wrongs, we continue to live with the legacy of outdated technologies; of polluted aging infrastructure," Kennedy said Friday. "Chief among those is our lead pipes in the infrastructure that service our community and, quite frankly, are contaminating the water that children and families are drinking on a regular basis. We have to change this."
"This funding is going to go a long way to helping us achieve clean drinking water for families today and future generations," he continued.
The $1.6 million going to the ECWA was expected to help offset the high cost of replacing lead service lines and allow the authority to prioritize homes with vulnerable populations, according to Gillibrand's office.
The money also comes after the ECWA raised service rates by 8.25%, putting the service's cost higher than those paid in the City of Buffalo, Rochester, Monroe County and Onondaga County.
The rising rates are due in part to the federal mandate to remove the lead pipes.
Schad said during Friday's news conference the ECWA estimates it'll cost more than $320 million, averaging to $25 million per year, to comply with the EPA's order.
The water authority has already spent about $15 million in 2025 to identify and replace lead pipes in its service area. It plans to spend another $30 million this year, Schad said.
"The pressure on us is huge," Schad said during the Friday news conference. "This immediate money will go directly to helping at least 150 to 200 homes."
Reach climate and environment reporter Mackenzie Shuman at mshuman@buffnews.com or 716-715-4722.