Lead Water Crisis in Syracuse
The government has failed to follow the law and address Syracuse’s lead crisis – but residents, community organizations and advocates are fighting back.
The quality of the water we drink should not depend on our skin color, zip code, or wealth.
But in Syracuse, over 25 percent of households have extremely high levels of lead in their water, and in Syracuse’s Onondaga county, Black children are almost six times as likely as white children to have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Yet local, state, and federal agencies have continually failed to take action.
Below is a timeline of Syracuse’s lead crisis, the government’s failures, and advocates’ fight for clean, safe drinking water.
Rights This Way Podcast
Listen to our conversation with Shannon Burkett, an award-winning actor, writer, producer, and nurse who created the podcast “Lead: How This Story Ends is Up to Us,” which tells the true story of her family’s experience with lead poisoning.
The Truth about Syracuse's Lead Problem
An EPA investigation confirmed alarming truths about the lead water crisis in Syracuse – and local activists won’t give up their fight until the people of Syracuse have the clean drinking water that is their right.
Syracuse Water Report Card
Our report card explains how local, state, and federal officials have repeatedly failed to take the actions required to resolve Syracuse’s lead water emergency.
The Lead Pipe Replacement Act
The Lead Pipe Replacement Act amends the public health law to establish a statewide plan to replace all of New York’s lead service lines by 2037 at no direct cost to customers. The bill offers a concrete and lasting solution for removing a major source of lead contamination poisoning New Yorkers, especially children.
