Rockford program would provide interest-free loans to remove lead pipes

RR Star
Jeff Kolkey 

ROCKFORD — City Water Superintendent Kyle Saunders next week will propose a no-interest loan program to help residential water customers replace lead service lines.

Saunders said that if approved by City Council, the Water Division would tell residents when they have lead pipe service lines between the water main and their home.

“Customers will receive a notice of presence that says either during a distribution activity or capital investment, it was identified they have a lead service line,” Saunders said. “They would receive lot of information and would have three choices: One, replace at their own cost; Two, move forward with city financing at no interest; or three, do nothing.

When residents choose to replace lead service lines, the city will replace the line from the main to the property line. Saunders estimates that replacing the lines on private property would cost about $2,000.

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