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Water Quality Products Magazine
CRISTINA TUSER See the full article. Joliet, Illinois is starting another phase of its program to replace lead service lines. Approximately 800 lead service lines will have been replaced by sometime next year, according to Utilities Director Allison Swisher, reported the Herald News. Joliet is in the process of identifying lead service lines, which bring water from the city main to the house. The city currently has an interactive map on its website to help residents determine if their homes may have lead service lines. The city has not allowed lead to be used in service lines for more than 80 years, but it is still found in older homes. The Illinois EPA is providing approximately $4 million to fund the next phase of the lead-line replacement program. There will be a projected 600 lead service lines that will be replaced in Phase Two of the program, added Swisher. The total will be close to 800. Phase Two will focus on homes on the near East and West sides of Joliet. See the full article. Phil Goldstein
State Tech Read the full article Using a machine learning predictive model, the city will try to accelerate the identification of lead water service lines. Toledo, Ohio, made the replacement of 30,000 lead water service lines a key priority last year to improve public safety, and now the city wants to accelerate the effort by leveraging artificial intelligence. The city will develop a machine learning program to determine where lead pipes might be located and then identify and prioritize which homes need to have their pipes replaced first. As the Environmental Protection Agency notes, “lead is a toxic metal that can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels.” “The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets, and fixtures,” the EPA states. “In homes with lead pipes that connect the home to the water main, also known as lead services lines, these pipes are typically the most significant source of lead in the water.” In recent years, cities across the country have made the replacement of lead water service lines a top priority, though the response has been sluggish in some cities. The EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree that there is no known safe level of lead in a child’s blood, and lead in children’s blood can lead to behavior and learning problems, lower IQ and hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems, anemia, and even death. Read the full article Chris Mertes
Sun Prairie Star Read the full article. After receiving approval from the Public Service Commission, Sun Prairie Utilities (SPU) will begin its lead line replacement program, according to SPU Utility Manager Rick Wicklund. In conjunction with the City of Sun Prairie Ordinance created on Aug. 21, 2018 requiring homeowners to replace lead customer-side water services, SPU has developed and received Public Service Commission approval for the Lead Service Line Replacement Program that provides financial assistance for replacements. Having currently confirmed 98 lead services, SPU estimates that 225 customer-side services of the pre-1940 vintage are constructed of lead material. Wicklund said as part of its advanced metering implementation, SPU is continuously identifying customer-side lateral service materials. In comparison to the almost 60 Wisconsin Municipal Utilities with over 4,000 meters (Class AB), Sun Prairie has a very low exposure to lead services (many municipals have thousands, with Milwaukee leading the state with around 150,000 as reported in 2019). Read the full article. |
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October 2021
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