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East Village Magazine
See the original article Jan Worth-Nelson The City of Flint announced Tuesday that water pipeline replacement, paused the last two months by the coronavirus lockdowns, will resume this week. When work stopped in March, 9,554 lead or galvanized pipes had been replaced, part of the city’s infrastructure recovery from the water crisis triggered in 2014 when the lack of corrosion control in the pipes from Flint River water unleashed lead from old pipes into the bodies of Flint residents. What happened to the city, under state takeover at the time, was labeled a national disgrace in what some called the worst human-made environmental disaster of our lifetimes. A total of 25,409 pipes have been excavated in the water pipeline work, with 15,526 discovered to be copper lines not needing replacement. The work, funded by $100 million from the federal Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation (WIIN) fund, originally was scheduled to be completed by 2019, but “fell behind schedule during the previous administration,” of former Mayor Karen Weaver, and because of the COVID-shutdowns, according to the city’s press release. Weaver was defeated in 2019 by Sheldon Neeley. Workers will observe COVID-19 precautions throughout, city officials stated, as follows: “Workers will remain a minimum of six feet from all residents. They also will wear gloves, face masks and face shields when going door-to-door. They also will ask residents how they are feeling and if it would be an appropriate time to do service line replacement work. All work areas inside the home will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.” The city press release said the replacement program is about 85 percent complete, and is expected to be finished by the end of the year. The Batavian
Mike Pettinella See the original article. The City of Batavia has tapped into a New York State program designed to help municipalities “get the lead out.” Batavia City Council members, at their Conference Meeting via Zoom tonight, are expected to hear from Public Works Director Matt Worth about a $554,112 grant the City has received from the NYS Department of Health’s Lead Service Line Replacement Plan. Worth said he and his staff have developed a work plan that is designed to replace 75 lead service lines on Swan, Hutchins and Otis streets on the City’s Southside. “We suspect that 20 to 30 percent of our residential services may still be lead -- from the water main to the curb shut-off,” Worth said. “We have never observed it from the curb shut-off into the house.” Fox 11
See the original article. GREEN BAY (WLUK) – The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin unanimously approved a Lead Service Line Replacement Program for Green Bay Water Utility. This program is made possible through 2017 Leading on Lead Act. The Leading on Lead Act provides an innovative funding mechanism to address the problem of lead-laden water. The act allows governments to pass an ordinance to use ratepayer dollars for a low or no-interest loan or an up to 50 percent grant for private property owners to replace their lead service lines. As public health continues to be on the minds of Wisconsinites, a positive step was made today to address the issue of lead poisoning in Green Bay residents. The plan approved by the PSC isn’t Green Bay’s first effort to address lead-laden water, but today’s action lays a path to finish ridding their water infrastructure of lead service lines. This plan doesn’t just help residents with lead laterals, but the entire community will benefit as public health improves, creating long-term economic savings, and Utility costs decrease as anti-corrosive materials become less necessary and newer infrastructure reduces the risk of leaks or failures. Green Bay joins Kenosha, Manitowoc, and Menasha as communities with approved Lead Service Line Replacement Program plans. LI Herald.com
See the original article. Jennifer Corr The City of Glen Cove will be accepting an amount not to exceed $627,327 grant from the New York State Department of Health to fund new water pipes as part of the NYS DOH Lead Service Line Replacement Program. “We’re going to replace lead lines, which is a good thing and we’re required to contribute zero,” said Rocco Graziosi, the project manager at Public Works who is heading the operation. New York’s Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 required the DOH to implement the LSLRP in an effort to prevent lead exposure. According to the DOH, service pipes that contain lead can corrode, causing lead to enter drinking water. And while a lead service line does not mean a household has a lead issue, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that contaminated drinking water can contribute 20 percent or more to a person’s lead exposure and infants who consume formula can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from contaminated water. LSLRP funds are used to replace the entire length of residential lead service lines. Awarded municipalities, like Glen Cove, are required to coordinate the lead service line replacement, submitting related costs to the state for reimbursement. City employees are required to work with homeowners to confirm the presence of lead service lines that would need to be replaced. Graziosi said that once the city receives final approval from the state, notices will be sent out to residents in their water bills on how to check for the presence of lead pipes. He noted that he doesn’t think there are many in Glen Cove and that older houses are more likely to have it. Once a resident believes they have a lead pipe, a DPW employee will confirm the presence of it and the resident will be required to submit an application. Graziosi said that the resident shouldn’t lose water for too long. They will be required to flush out any lead that could have gotten into the water. The city will front the money and will then be reimbursed by the state. Daily Times Chronicle
See the original article. WINCHESTER - Town Treasurer Sheila Tracy requested the Select Board approve a loan to the town from the MWRA Local Water System Assistance Program/Lead Service Line Replacement Program (Phase 3). She said the loan would be used to continue Winchester’s program to remove goosenecks. It’s an interest free loan in the amount of $600,000 and the town will repay it in 10 installments of $60,000 each, over a 10 year period beginning May 15, 2021. The motion, read by Select Board member Susan Verdicchio said, “voted: that the sale of the $600,000 Water Bond of the town dated June 1, 2020 to Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (the ‘Authority’) is hereby approved and the Town Treasurer or other appropriate town official is authorized to execute on behalf of the town a Loan Agreement and a Financial Assistance Agreement with the Authority with respect to the bond. The bond shall be payable without interest on May 15 of the years and in the principal amounts: $60,000 each year from 2021 through 2030. Bismarck Tribune
See the original article Dave Thompson ismarck has received a $5 million loan from the state’s drinking water revolving loan fund to replace cast iron water mains in the downtown area. The area in question is between Boulevard Avenue and Main Avenue, and Washington Street and 10th Street. The project will begin this summer, Bismarck Utility Operations Director Michelle Klose told Prairie Public. The area also has a lot of lead service lines, according to Klose. As a part of the loan package, the state’s Department of Health and Department of Environmental Quality granted the city $500,000 to help homeowners replace those lines, she said. The program would cover up to 90% of the replacement cost. "We will replace the line to the curb stop, as part of that project," Klose said. "But this grant program will enable the resident to replace between the curb stop and their home, so that the whole line is replaced at one point in time." The city is preparing a package for homeowners in the area of the cast-iron replacement project. Homeowners outside that area who are interested in replacing lead service lines can get on a list, so they can benefit when more funding becomes available. "Some of these replacements could be in the range between $5,000 and $10,000," Klose said. "It is a significant investment." Having the 90% grant available will be important to getting the lead service lines replaced, according to Klose. "It really provides some incentive, if the homeowner is interested," she said. Chicago Tribune
Carrie Napoleon See the original article. Old lead water lines to abandoned homes and vacant lots in the Marshalltown and University Park neighborhoods in Gary are the latest lines being replaced by Indiana American Water Co. The work is part of a multi-year, statewide effort by the water utility to replace all lead service lines throughout the state, according to Joe Loughmiller, external affairs manager for Indiana American Water Co. Water lines to occupied homes will have to wait until the social distancing measures enacted by Gov. Eric Holcomb in an effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, are lifted, he said. “We have been very proactive in Indiana dealing with the issue of lead service lines,” Loughmiller said via email. The company regularly samples for lead pursuant to the EPA’s Copper Rule and continue to be in compliance across the state, including Northwest Indiana. Bennington Banner
Jim Therrien See the original article. BENNINGTON — The Select Board received some "incredibly good news" this week from Town Manager Stuart Hurd, who said Bennington will receive up to $11 million in reimbursements to replace lead water service lines connecting properties to town mains. Hurd said the town landed the large authorization, which comes through the state Drinking Water Revolving Fund, because of preliminary testing and mapping that began here in 2018, putting Bennington ahead of other municipalities seeking funding. Jason Dolmetsch, president of MSK Engineering and Design, had earlier advised the board about a pending opportunity to get 100 percent state reimbursement to replace building service lines containing lead — a toxic substance that was banned in 1986 but used extensively in older water system connections. Hurd said it appears the town now has enough funding to complete two of three planned phases of what is envisioned as a multi-year line replacement project. A preliminary estimate was that the work could cost up to $16 million, but the final figure will depend on how many lines are shown through testing to have lead and the bids received for construction. "A lot will depend on the number of services [replaced] and the bid prices," Hurd said Tuesday. In preparing for construction, the board also had proposed a bond authorization of up to $9.5 million, which voters approved during the annual March town meeting. "This is the first [state] funding round for construction," Hurd said in an email. "We [earlier] received a planning grant of $80,000 to gather the information of how many lead service lines there are in the community. This is the entire [fiscal] 2021 appropriation. The bond requirement was part of the readiness effort to prove to the state that we were ready." Although the amount approved is actually higher than the bond authorization of $9.5 million, Hurd added, "I am told that because this is 100 percent reimbursable; no additional bonding will be required." The owners of properties involved will not be required to pay the cost of testing for lead or construction. Wisconsin Has Hundreds Of Thousands Of Lead Water Lines, But Is Also A Leader In Addressing Issue4/30/2020
WXPR
Ben Meyer See the original article. More than 150,000 Wisconsin homes, businesses, schools, and daycares get their water through lead pipes, according to data newly compiled by the Environmental Defense Fund. Consuming even small amounts of lead can lead to behavioral, learning, and cognitive problems in children. Furthermore, for 300,000 water lines, Wisconsin cities don’t even know what the pipes are made of. Even so, the Environmental Defense Fund calls the state “ahead of the curve” on identifying and addressing lead piping. Cities in northern Wisconsin provide examples of progress. A few years ago, Eagle River announced the city would pay to replace all existing lead water service lines for homeowners across the city, about 60 of them. Because the lines are underneath private property, they’re usually the homeowners’ responsibility. “It worked out great for those property owners,” said utility manager Mike Sanborn. “They were able to get their services replaced to copper at no charge to them.” The city is just about done and just about lead-free. It’s something Sanborn doubts could have been accomplished without the city covering the cost. “Especially right now, with what’s happening with the virus, and the lack of people working, it definitely would have been a challenge to get them to commit to spending any money on their service lines,” he said. Eagle River got a half-million dollars from the DNR in 2017 and 2018 for the project. See the EDF blog.
Note to readers: As we all grapple with the grave global health challenge from COVID-19, we want to acknowledge the essential service that the public health professionals at water utilities provide in delivering safe water not only for drinking but for washing our hands and our surroundings. In the meantime, we are continuing to work towards improved health and environmental protections – including reducing lead in drinking water. We’ll plan to keep sharing developments regarding lead in drinking water that may be useful to you. In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy. With the comment period now closed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed revisions to its Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), agency staff are busy reviewing the 687 distinct comments submitted to the docket with a goal of finalizing the rule by the end of the year. To help water professionals plan ahead, the cover article in the March edition of Journal AWWA walks readers through the proposal and its implications. It ends with six suggestions to water systems that include developing a service line material inventory and identifying funding strategies to accelerate full lead service line (LSL) replacement. With this suggestion in mind, we are continuing our work evaluating state efforts to develop LSL inventories by taking a closer look at reporting by Wisconsin municipal and private water utilities[1] to the state Public Service Commission (PSC) for calendar year 2018.[2] Of the other states with mandatory inventory reporting, we have previously covered Illinois in detail and will evaluate Michigan’s newly released reports soon. The only other state with mandatory reporting is California, but it has limited value because it only covers the portion of the service line owned by the utility and excludes the portion on private property. Wisconsin’s reporting is similar to Illinois’, but more detailed Like Illinois, Wisconsin requires annual reporting and posts the information online in a publicly accessible format as it is received. However, Wisconsin differs by requiring utilities to:
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