ABC 7
Read the full article. CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Water Department is expanding its program to replace lead pipes for free, in houses built before 1986. To be eligible, you must live in the home and have an income of $83,250 or less, for a family of four. Families with children or with elevated lead levels will be prioritized, but those are no longer needed to meet those benchmarks in order to apply. Evanston Roundtable
Bob Seidenberg Read the full article. Six Evanston residents will be hired as part of the city’s effort to replace leaking or broken lead service lines under a workforce development program approved May 9 by the Evanston City Council. City Council members voted 9-0 to authorize funding for the program. The costs will be split between the city’s Water Fund ($861,000) and federal American Recovery Plan Act monies ($930,000) for water and sewer infrastructure. On the city side, staff is proposing a 5% water rate increase in 2023 and 4% increase in 2024 to generate the revenue needed for the improvements. Mahoning Matters
Read the full article. Some Mahoning Valley communities will get a combined $537,750 in state grants to take the first step toward removing and replacing lead water pipes. Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson on Friday announced about $2.1 million in H2Ohio grant assistance for 48 public water systems to help identify and map lead service lines. “By helping local communities develop precise maps of lead line locations, we’re another step closer to ridding the entire state of these toxic pipes,” DeWine said in the release. WKZO
Jerry Malec Read the full article. KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The City of Kalamazoo has been aggressively working to replace lead service lines to homes, but despite that, they still have a long way to go before they will be finished. The effort began years ago, even before the Flint water crisis put a spotlight on the problem. Since then replacement efforts have picked up momentum, as more state and federal funding has become available. Utility Director Jim Baker says despite replacing 5,000 lines in the last 30-years, there are still a lot of lines out there that don’t meet new safety rules. WSBT 22
Ronnie Das Read the full article. Nearly 37% of lead service lines in Benton Harbor have been replaced. State officials secured funding earlier this year to replace all the lines in the city. Volunteers provided free cases of bottled water for people who live in the community. For homes that still have lead, the water is used for daily tasks like cooking or mixing powdered baby formula. Volunteers distributing water say the next step is informing neighbors about the resources available for them. Steubenville residents asked to help water department get a handle on lead water service lines4/26/2022
Herald-Star
Linda Harris Read the full article. STEUBENVILLE — City residents are being asked to help the water department get a handle on lead water service lines in Steubenville. Letters are being sent to all residents to assist city crews in documenting where those lead private service lines are, Water Superintendent Jim Jenkins said. “This information will assist us to complete the Ohio EPA mandated location inventory database and mapping of the lead in our water system,” he said. “This is city wide. We sent out over 8,100 mailers with an informational letter and a pre-paid postage postcard for the resident to complete and return to us.” Water Finance & Management
Read the full article. Local, state and federal leaders gathered in Pittsburgh this month to highlight the progress of Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority’s (PWSA) lead line replacement program and applaud plans for removing lead lines from every daycare in Pittsburgh. Since PWSA established its Community Lead Response program in 2016, it has replaced 8,883 public lead service lines and 5,846 private lead service lines, representing a total of more than 52 miles of lead lines removed from Pittsburgh’s water system. As part of PWSA’s Priority Lead Service Line Replacement Project in 2022, no-cost lead service line replacement will be available for all daycare facilities in PWSA’s service area. The Business Journal
Read the full article. YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan visited a West Side neighborhood Tuesday that is expected to receive $1.6 million to replace lead pipes this summer. The EPA chief was joined by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan and Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown to tour the community and meet residents. “There are more than 600,000 lead service lines in Ohio today, and between 6-10 million nationwide,” Regan said in a news release following the event. “Thanks to the leadership of Senator Brown, Congressman Ryan and President Biden, Ohio will see more than $71 million to address pollution from lead pipes under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2022 alone. I look forward to working with Ohio’s leaders to ensure these dollars get to communities that need it most, in a quick, effective and equitable way.” 90.5 WESA
Sarah Boden Read the full article. The American Rescue Plan is funding the replacement of some 750 public lead lines in Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewage Authority. The money for this $17 million project comes out of the City of Pittsburgh’s pot of $355 million it was allotted from last year’s $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package. Typically, when there’s a construction project such as lead-line replacement, the utility must take out a loan. WTOL 11
Read the full article. TOLEDO, Ohio — EPA administrator Michael Regan visited a home in central Toledo to highlight a $15-billion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that aims to protect and improve public health by replacing lead water lines from area homes, schools and businesses. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, shared the story of Toledo resident Karen George who recently found out that she had lead pipes in her home. "Unfortunately, I found out just this month that I do have lead still attached to my house. So, I'm dealing with the best way that I know how, but I'm glad that they're here to do what they got to do to help me," George said. |
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