Implementation of the lead line grant will be undertaken by the Town of North Hempstead Community Development Agency

North Hempstead, NY –North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board members are pleased to announce that the Town has been awarded a New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) grant in the amount of $611,363 to replace residential drinking water lead service lines as part of New York's Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017.

The NYSDOH has stated that all water mains maintained by the various water districts in the Town of North Hempstead have all since been replaced, however individual service lines connecting homes to these mains may still contain lead. The presence of lead in service lines occurs primarily in homes constructed before 1939. This program would allow for those individual service lines to be replaced and would cover the cost to do so.

The Lead Service Line Replacement Program (LSLRP) is a grant program designed to assist with the cost of the water line replacement for eligible homes. Implementation of the lead line grant will be undertaken by the Town of North Hempstead Community Development Agency (CDA).

"Replacing these residential lead service lines will help to protect the health of our residents and their families," said Supervisor Bosworth. “We are grateful that this critical funding has been made available.”

Program basics:
• The LSLRP grant program assists with the full or partial replacement of residential water service lines from the public water main to the residence. Partial replacement of the water service line would be allowed if portions are confirmed to not contain lead.
• Typical project costs such as engineering, municipal application, or permit fees, contracting services, and related property restoration costs are included.
• Homeowners may obtain a free test kit to determine if lead exists in their water service line by contacting the NYSDOH by email at FreeWaterTesting@health.ny.gov, by phone at 518-402-7650 or website at https://health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/lead/free_lead_testing_pilot_program.htm.

Working together with the Town’s Planning and Building departments, the CDA will be establishing target areas in the Town have the highest number of pre-1939 homes and income eligible households. The Town of North Hempstead will conduct outreach via advertisements, informative flyers and social media posts to reach all residential property owners within the Town to make them aware of the dangers of a lead service line and to inform them of the availability of financial assistance through the LSLRP.

Homeowners interested in confirming the presence of a lead service line and interested in having it replaced, can call the Town’s 311 Call Center or the CDA at 516-869-2480 or the CDA website at www.northhempsteadny.gov/cda-message for more information.