Levels of lead in the tested blood of Onondaga County children dropped significantly in 2025, an achievement touted by the county’s top official as one of several markers of growing success against the dangerous metal.
More than 10,000 children were tested in 2025, County Executive Ryan McMahon said at a news conference to issue a progress report on lead, finding 452 children with elevated levels of lead in their blood. That’s down nearly 40% from the 742 children found in 2024 with elevated blood-lead levels. All but a handful of cases were found in children in the city of Syracuse, where older homes were more common. Homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint, and the city estimates there are at least 16,000 lead pipes delivering water to homes.
No level of lead in blood is considered safe. Lead in the blood of small children can do permanent damage to their brains and nervous systems.
The county has invested about $25 million of local, state and federal money in its lead-fighting effort since 2022, focusing on testing and removing lead from homes. McMahon said the county has certified more contractors who can remediate homes, reducing the wait time for remediation to as little as 125 days, about one-third of the wait time from 2022 to 2024.
“Our goal is very simple, to make testing accessible and to identify potential exposures before they become lifelong challenges for kids. We've made homes safer,” McMahon said, later giving the overall effort a grade. “I'd say we're probably at a B+. If you look at the proactive, we're not running and hiding from the challenge.”
The city of Syracuse is focusing its efforts on removing lead pipes. The city’s online dashboard shows more than 1,300 lead pipes have been replaced so far this year. More than 16,000 lead pipes remain, with a further 12,000 classified as unknown.
This week, which is Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens held the first of what she said would be several roundtable discussions on lead to try to chart a way forward as the city faces a potential state law mandating the removal of all lead pipes, a tremendously expensive effort.
