Syracuse, N.Y. has double the levels of lead in the water than Flint, Michigan, NRDC says

NEW YORK - The Central New York city of Syracuse is facing a crisis over lead in the water, the Natural Resources Defense Council said. 

According to the NRDC, Syracuse has more than double the levels of lead in the water that caused alarm and outrage in Flint, Michigan.

The council is calling on authorities to declare a state of emergency in Syracuse.

The group claims more than 14,000 homes in Syracuse use lead water pipes, and says it found lead levels at 70 ppb, which is higher than the 57 ppb found in Newark. The EPA has set a goal of zero lead in drinking water because of its toxic effects, and says its "action level" is at 15 ppb.   

"Testing shows more than 9 percent of our children citywide have very high blood levels, and in some parts of the city nearly one in five kids are affected," said Oceanna Fair of Families for Lead Freedom Now.   

"New York State officials must start addressing lead-contaminated drinking water as the urgent public health crisis it is, starting by informing Syracuse residents of the threat from their taps and taking swift, aggressive action to protect them," Valerie Baron of the NRDC said.   

The NRDC is asking the state to provide filters to people with lead service lines, offer free blood lead testing and more. 

"Data does not support the conclusion of an emergency situation"

Syracuse officials say the city's water department "is responding transparently and comprehensively" to the sampling results, and that the city's water supply is free of lead. They say the issue appears to be related to lead "sometimes present in pipes connecting older homes to the water system or in fixtures and home plumbing." 

"The city announced the results in a public media briefing in August and sent notifications to all residential properties regarding the findings. Eight properties with exceedances requested resampling; seven came back below the EPA action level.  Results from the next round of EPA required testing are expected soon and will guide the next actions. Data does not support the conclusion of an emergency situation or comparisons to other U.S. cities," Syracuse chief policy officer Greg Loh said. "Replacing lead service lines is an urgent priority for the city of Syracuse." 

The state Department of Health says it has provided more than $22 million to Syracuse to replace the lead service lines. 

Some 145,000 people live in Syracuse, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.