Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
Q&A
Lead service line replacement program and its focus on environmental justice communities
2:26:14
ยท
123 sec
Council Member Restler and Commissioner Aggarwala discuss the lead service line replacement program, its focus on environmental justice communities, and plans for expansion.
- Program has reached moderate income homeowners with a median income of $47,000
- No strong correlation found between lead service lines and income or race
- Discussion on the need for a more targeted approach to investing resources in lead service line replacements
- Consideration of expanding the program beyond environmental justice communities
Lincoln Restler
2:26:14
And just in terms of future investments in water quality, I wanted to just come back to the lead service lines, and Bob Holden had a question or two on this as well.
2:26:23
The lead service line replacements, as I understand it, have focused on properties in environmental justice communities.
2:26:29
How are you measuring effectiveness on this initiative to date?
2:26:32
I know you noted in your testimony that the homes that have been homeowners that have been assisted with DP resources, I think, had a $47,000 median income.
2:26:40
So you're reaching moderate income homeowners effectively.
2:26:44
But are there plans to expand this approach to other areas beyond DJ communities?
Rohit Aggarwala
2:26:51
Well, you know, as as I mentioned in my testimony last year, we we testified in favor of a bill and intro number of which escapes me right at the moment.
Lincoln Restler
2:27:02
I remember that.
Rohit Aggarwala
2:27:03
That would have directed DEP to develop a plan to assist low income homeowners across the city.
2:27:10
We, you know, frankly, we've spent most of our attention over the last six or nine months since that hearing focused on delivering this program with the money that we have and applying to
Lincoln Restler
2:27:23
make sure That's the $2,000,000 in federal funding.
Rohit Aggarwala
2:27:28
You know, and I will say as as I testified last year, you know, we have not found a correlation on the prevalence of lead service lines with respect to income, with respect to race.
2:27:39
This isn't really an e j issue except in so far as people without means would struggle to replace their their service lines.
2:27:47
And at least personally, I'm not really comfortable saying that, you know, a multi million dollar home in Riverdale or College Point that happens to have a lead service line that New York City government needs to replace that private property.
2:28:02
I'm not quite there.
2:28:03
And so I think we need to think more more in a more targeted way about how we would invest resources either from the rate payers or from the taxpayers into this kind of I