Syracuse lawmakers to hold meeting Thursday so residents can ask about lead in water

Syracuse, N.Y. — A Syracuse Common Council committee is giving residents a chance to ask questions and express concerns about lead levels in the city’s drinking water.
A Public Works Committee meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, in the Van B. Robinson Common Council Chambers at City Hall. The purpose, according to a meeting notice, is to “to hold a town hall-style meeting to educate the community and address concerns regarding water sampling as it relates to lead.”
Mayor Ben Walsh’s administration last month disclosed that testing showing a dramatic spike in Syracuse’s drinking water lead levels earlier this year may have been faulty because proper sampling protocols were not followed. Water samples are supposed to be collected from inside homes by volunteer residents, but in the first half of 2024, some samples showing abnormally high lead levels actually were collected from outside faucets by officials charged with collecting samples.