Ohio lawmakers prioritize lead water line replacement

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Crews have begun replacing aging lead pipes on the West Side of Youngstown but one local lawmaker says there are over 12,000 more lead service lines in the city that need replacing.

Representative Lauren McNally is supporting House Bill 534 which was recently introduced in Columbus. It would require public water systems to replace all their lead service lines within 15 years.

“Today we are saying this is a priority of ours,” said McNally.

While Youngstown is using $1.5 million in American Rescue funds to help pay for this work, other communities don’t have the resources.

“Communities are doing what they can with what they got but we don’t have a statewide process — a plan,” said State Representative Dontavius Jarrells, (D) Columbus.

Jarrells wrote House Bill 534. He says it would help cities obtain funding for water line replacement projects, especially in poor and minority communities where many of these lead lines exist — with close to 750,000 of them across Ohio.

“That is detrimental to just our health and well-being of our current citizens, our aging citizens, our soon-to-come citizens,” McNally said.

While lawmakers admit the state is already spending $21 million on water and sewer projects, they claim the cost of just replacing lines in Youngstown could be $36 million.

“By putting more focus on the issue, we’re gonna say to the governor, we’re gonna say to colleagues in both chambers — we need to do more,” said Jarrells.

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