Pleasantville Village Board Work Session on Lead Service Line Inventory – May 31, 2025

Village Engineer and Superintendent of Public Works Anthony Carr presented an update on the lead service line inventory program, including progress to date, next steps for predictive modeling, costs, and future replacement requirements. Board members and a trustee discussed the village’s proactive approach versus waiting for regulatory changes.

Discussion Items

• Inventory status: As of May 2025, 24 lead service lines have been identified on the public side (village-owned from water main to curb stop) and 10 on the customer side (from curb stop into the house). Zero service lines have lead on both sides. There are 1,312 service lines with unknown material status that must be classified to zero by November 2027.
• Field inspections: A total of 55 customer-side inspections were completed; 6 were confirmed as lead. Self-reporting by residents using scratch tests was encouraged but yielded few responses.
• Predictive modeling: A subconsultant (Blue Conduit) is building a statistical model using records, assessments, and field data to assign materials to unknown lines. To achieve the required 95% confidence interval, 100 homes will be selected for “swordfishing” – inserting a probe into the service line to measure electrical resistance and determine material. If needed, an additional 50 homes may be inspected. Swordfishing is scheduled for July–August 2025, with modeling completion expected by September 2025.
• Timeline: A complete inventory with zero unknowns must be submitted to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) by November 1, 2027. Simultaneously, a 10-year replacement plan (2027–2037) must be submitted, requiring on average 10% replacement per year of all lead and galvanized steel requiring replacement (GSLR) lines.
• Budget: $246,000 has been approved for phases 1–6 (complete) and phase 7 (underway). For the next fiscal year (June 2025–May 2026), an additional $139,000–$189,000 is needed for phases 8–13, including the swordfishing, predictive modeling, annual notifications, and preparation of the replacement and sampling plans. Funds would come from the water fund.
• Estimated replacement costs (public side only): Low estimate $325,000 (if no more lead found), likeliest $1.34 million (134 service lines at 5.3% lead rate), high estimate $2.4 million (196 service lines at 10% lead rate). Private side costs would likely double these figures if the village administers the entire replacement and back-charges homeowners. Homeowners have the option to hire their own contractor for the private side, but coordination challenges were noted.
• Regulatory context: Carr noted that NYSDOH may introduce additional tap sampling requirements for schools and child care facilities, but guidance remains unclear. The EPA mandates apply nationwide, but there is uncertainty about enforcement and potential rule changes under the current administration.
• Trustee comment: Trustee Johnny Ham expressed frustration that Pleasantville is being proactive while other municipalities may delay and later receive grants or avoid penalties. He suggested waiting and proceeding cautiously. Mayor Sheer acknowledged the concern but emphasized the village cannot willfully violate a federal drinking water mandate.
• Next steps: Carr will obtain the list of 100 addresses for swordfishing and order water meters in advance. The board may authorize the expenditures in a future meeting. Quarterly updates were proposed.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken during the work session. The board heard the update and will consider authorizing the next phase of funding (up to $189,000) at a regular meeting.
• The work session was followed by an executive session at 8:30 PM to discuss real property matters (no transcript provided).