Arcadis to develop lead service line data system for NYC DEP

Arcadis has been awarded an $8.1 million contract to develop a Tap Card Management System (TCMS) for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Bureau of Water and Sewer Operations, supporting compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. The 28-month project will consolidate and modernize records related to water service line installation, maintenance, and material identification across New York City’s drinking water distribution system.

DEP delivers about 1 billion gallons of drinking water per day through roughly 7,000 miles of water mains, with more than 2 million tap card records documenting private service lines that connect homes and businesses to the system. Although New York City banned lead service lines in 1961, some legacy lines remain. Arcadis will design and implement a custom, web-based TCMS that validates service line attributes using scanned tap card images, integrates the data with existing DEP databases, and provides staff with portal-based access to service line information. The system will also support predictive modeling to assess the likelihood of lead presence and help DEP prioritize replacements citywide.

“This project leads the charge for a safer water future for New York City. The web-based Arcadis solution deployed will empower the community and enhance asset management efficiency,” said Suman Bopaiah, deputy project manager at Arcadis, in a press release

Rebecca Slabaugh, drinking water practice lead at Arcadis, added, “We are excited to help NYC DEP achieve compliance, reduce costs and prepare to remove all lead service lines across the city.”