Kenosha Is First in Wisconsin to Tap Lead Service Line Removal Funding

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City clears two hurdles that make removing lead services difficult for communities

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 24, 2019) – The City of Kenosha (Wisconsin) will be the first city in the state to utilize available funding for lead service-line-replacement projects, and has hired Zionsville, Ind., company 120WaterAudit to implement the program for the Kenosha Water Utility. 120WaterAudit will assist the city in overcoming another hurdle — information management – that impedes communities from addressing lead as a public-health issue.

120WaterAudit’s Public Water System Platform will streamline lead-service-line replacement using geographic, demographic, and customer data that is crucial to pinpoint properties that need to be addressed, and are critical to ensuring the city’s investment of funding and manpower achieves regulatory compliance. 120WaterAudit will enable the utility to better manage its lead service-line inventory.

“Kenosha is a perfect example of a city digging in to tackle this problem, which is prevalent in so many communities across the United States,” said Megan Glover, chief executive officer for 120WaterAudit. “One of the hurdles to address the problem is finding funding, and the Kenosha team have diligently managed that hurdle – to the benefit of current and future residents.”

Glover also added that another hurdle is managing information. Determining which homes to address, based on geographic location and ensuring the replacement process is compliant, are important pieces in the replacement process. Many firms that work to manage this information use spreadsheets, which makes it difficult to get projects like this off the ground and ensure compliance. 120WaterAudit, however, uses technology that compiles all of the necessary information for field and office teams, and streamlines the process for the immediate and long-term future.

Kenosha Water Utility is using the Wisconsin Leading-on-Lead Act to fund the project. The fund provides water utilities with the authority to establish a financial assistance program to help customers replace their private lead service lines. Financial assistance is eventually recouped through utility rates.

“We’re honored to be the first city in Wisconsin to utilize this new funding mechanism,” said Ed St. Peter, general manager at Kenosha Water Utility. “To some it may have just been another piece of legislation, but as a water utility this allows us to completely fulfill our mission to provide and protect Kenosha’s greatest natural resource – WATER!!”

120WaterAudit will be exhibiting at the Midwest Water & Wastewater Operator Expo 2019 on Feb. 5 – 6 to showcase the software platform Kenosha will utilize.

Click here to learn more about the Wisconsin Leading on Lead Act.
To learn more about 120WaterAudit’s work with communities across the United States regarding lead-testing and service-line replacement, click here to contact 120WaterAudit media relations.