Chester health chief outlines enforcement plan, grants and water authority support to tackle lead in homes

Chester health commissioner Dr. Krista Motley on Tuesday laid out a community plan to enforce the city's existing lead ordinance, offer grant funds for home remediation and work with the Chester Water Authority to identify lead service lines.

Motley said the "Lead Poison Prevention and Lead Hazard Control" ordinance (article 1716) was adopted in April 2023 but has not been enforced to date. She told attendees the city plans to begin enforcement in January 2027 and tie proof of a lead-free or lead-safe certificate to rental-registration renewals.

"No one should ever have any lead in their body," Motley said, adding that "lead poisoning is 100% preventable." She described lead as a neurotoxin that produces irreversible developmental harm in young children and elevated risks for adults.

Motley explained landlords must obtain a lead inspection every three years. The ordinance allows two inspection paths: a state-approved lead risk assessor, which Motley said is more comprehensive and typically costs "at least $600 or $700," or a lead-based paint / dust-sampling technician, which she said can range roughly from $125 to $250 per sample.

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