Barbara Deyounge-Ezell and her husband worked overtime and saved carefully for nearly four years to afford a home of their own.
The day they toured a brick Tudor-style home with rust-colored gables and high ceilings in St. Albans, Queens, she knew immediately that it was theirs.
That feeling of euphoria lasted for 40 years, until she received a letter in 2024 from New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection: “Our records indicate that your water service line is made of lead,” read the letter, which was reviewed by New York Focus. It said homeowners were responsible for their lead pipes and required to replace them in accordance with federal regulations…