City of Syracuse says water now meets lead standards and is safe to drink

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — There has been a huge turnaround in the results for the most recent set of water sampling tests taken for the second half of 2024.

The City of Syracuse released that the drinking water now meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lead standards.

“The data, submitted to state and county regulators earlier this week, is supported by resident attestations to verify the sampling protocol followed,” explained the city.

A week prior, residents were raising many flags over their water quality. In the beginning half of 2024, two employees botched lead results. City officials came forward to reiterate that the results were inaccurate, as the tests were being done on the outside spigots and hoses.

Self-administered samples were taken at 131 homes with lead service lines — within the city limits –between Aug. and Oct. 2024. The city said the 90th percentile results analyzed by an independent testing lab came in at 12 parts per billion. Under the EPA lead action level, it can be no more than 15 parts per billion.

Of the 131 homes, only five exceeded EPA guidance.

Syracuse gets its water from Skaneateles Lake, which comes through lead-free mains.

“However, lead is sometimes present in pipes connecting older homes to the water system or in fixtures and home plumbing. The Syracuse Water Department adds a safe substance called orthophosphate to the water. This substance is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safe consumption,” said the city.

Orthophosphate creates a protective coating inside the lead pipes, which helps deter it from leaching into the water.

Public water system tap water testing is a national requirement. In Syracuse, testing will continue to take place every six months.

In the first half of v2024, 27 or 104 homes exceeded the EPA lead action level. The city said those samples are outliers from sampling conducted over the last ten years. It was later found that employees were not following sampling protocols.

Those employees have been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.

In the next year, the city declares it will be replacing more than 3,000 lead service lines. At approximately 2,700 homes citywide, the city said they would replace private lead services at homes where only the public infrastructure was changed previously.

Water filters will also be available. The city and Onondaga County Health Department will make free water filters available for households with children six and under, pregnant women, and other at-risk individuals.

“To reduce lead exposure, run your water for at least 30 seconds if it hasn’t been used for several hours, until it reaches a steady, cold temperature. Always use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula, and never boil water to remove lead,” said the city.

For more information, visit the Onondaga County Health Department Lead Poisoning Prevention website here or call 315-435-3271.

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