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Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree
My Journal Courier Read the full article. Municipalities across west-central Illinois are in the midst of a years-long process to identify and inventory the types of water supply lines in their service area. The state enacted legislation that took effect in January, giving municipalities and water suppliers until April 15, 2024, to identify the materials used in each water line. Ben Spreen, a principal with Benton and Associates, said lead-lined service pipes were banned in 1986, but some communities still have the older lines providing water to homes. Michael Phillis
The Washington Post Read the full article. The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday approved a nearly $700 million plan to remove all lead water pipes in the Denver region, saying the local water utility’s approach for reducing lead levels is succeeding and making swift progress. It’s a recognition that cities can effectively address the lead pipe crisis if they try. Lead water lines are a major source of lead poisoning. The metal causes brain damage and the agency says no amount is safe for children’s bodies. Denver’s water had high levels of lead a decade ago, testing showed. In response, local officials promised in 2020 to replace between 64,000 and 84,000 lead pipes in 15 years, a comparatively fast pace. To make sure people aren’t getting lead poisoning in the meantime, they also promised to hand out lead-removing filters to residents. So far the utility has dug up 15,000 lead pipes. Vicky Klukkert
The Daily Star Read the full article. The city of Oneonta has received a Community Development Block Grant to help income-eligible residents replace lead pipes in their homes. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the funding as part of a media release that listed more than $33 million in Community Development Block Grant funding awarded to dozens of municipalities for local infrastructure improvement and housing rehabilitation projects. The grants are designed to help communities provide “decent affordable housing and safe living environments primarily for low- and moderate-income residents,” the release said. Oneonta City Administrator Greg Mattice said in an email the $200,000 grant will help low-income homeowners in the city “replace privately-owned lead water services that have been identified by the city.” Owners of single-family homes or rental properties with two to four units are eligible to apply for the grant, he said. Bob Coupland
Tribune Chronicle Read the full article. The city has been awarded a $50,000 Ohio Environmental Protection Agency grant to be used for lead line mapping. Mayor Ben Kyle said at Monday’s meeting the mapping grant will be used by the city for future checking for lead in lines. He said in addition to the city getting lines checked for lead and replaced through a different project, there will be a separate project for mapping of future lines for lead. “The two projects run parallel. The mapping will help the city identify lead lines in the future. We have already identified several lead lines that will get replaced this winter and the first quarter of next year. The mapping grant will help us with the lines we don’t know about,” Kyle said. Paterson Residents Encouraged to Participate in Lead Water Service Line Replacement Program11/5/2022
Gabriella Dragone
TAPinto Patterson Read the full article. The Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC) has started removing and replacing approximately 6,500 lead service lines in its owner cities of Paterson, Clifton and Passaic. The commission will continue inspecting about 11,000 additional service lines with unknown material. “While we are pleased to start replacing these lead service lines in our owner cities, we need our customers to participate in this free program,” PVWC Executive Director Jim Mueller said. “Lead is bad and any exposure to lead is not considered safe, that’s why we’re continuing to get the lead out as we have been doing since the 1980s.” Replacing lead service lines normally costs upwards of $10,000, but PVWC is doing it free of charge for customers in its own cities. The replacement initiative is being funded by a 77% principal forgiveness Loan from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank. A law signed by Governor Phil Murphy in July 2021 requires water systems in New Jersey to identify all lead service lines, provide public notification regarding the presence of lead service lines, and replace all lead service lines by 2031. Kayla Clarke
ClickOnDetroit Read the full article. The work to replace aging lead water service lines in Benton Harbor is almost complete. The work is five months ahead of schedule and was done at no cost to residents, according to state officials. As of Wednesday, 99% of the city’s water service lines have been inspected and replaced with new copper lines if lead or galvanized pipe was found. Nearly 4,500 water service lines have been replaced or verified as being non-lead lines. There are less than 40 inspections left to complete. Kayla Jones and Cody Butler
News 10 Read the full article. Jackson’s water infrastructure is getting $16.5 million in funding from the State of Michigan. The funding comes from American Rescue Plan funds, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds, and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan. The funding will help accelerate the replacement effort and lower the overall cost burden on the City of Jackson. Over the next 30 years, the city plans to replace more than 11,000 service lines, using $9 million of the funding for lead service line replacements. Qualification for these infrastructure funds is due to Jackson’s status as a disadvantaged community with many lead service lines. Robert McFerren
21 WFMJ Read the full article. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced $2.4 million in H2Ohio assistance to help 53 public water systems, including four cities and one village in the Valley to identify and map lead pipes in each community. The village of Leetonia, along with the cities of Youngstown, Columbiana, and Girard each received $50,000, while the city of Hubbard received $49,621. “Water plays a vital role water in our daily lives, and these mini-grants will help communities take the first step toward safer water, " said Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson. Charles E. Ramirez
The Detroit News Read the full article. Detroit Water and Sewerage Department officials on Thursday said they will be able to speed up the replacement of about 80,000 lead services lines in the city thanks to a $100 million fund the agency has amassed from state and federal grants. The lines will be replaced at no additional cost to customers, DWSD Director Gary Brown said in a statement. He also said the fund will enable the department to step up its program to replace lead service lines from about 700 a year to at least 5,000 annually for the next three years. Jonah Nink
Shaw Local News Network Read the full article. Batavia was awarded nearly $4 million through the Illinois Environmental Protective Agency to replace outdated lead water service lines throughout the city. The City Council approved a notice of intent to award the contract to Brandt Excavating Inc. during Monday’s meeting. “It would appear that [the program] is going to save the Batavia rate payer some significant amount of money to get rid of all this lead-based pipe we’ve got in the ground, some of it originally put in there about 1893,” said Mayor Jeffery Schielke. “It needs to be taken out.” |
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January 2023
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