WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The city of Wausau is slowly working its way towards replacing all lead pipe water lines in the city, but some leaders are wondering if there’s something that could be done to speed up the process.
Mayor Katie Rosenberg says the city has been working to replace the pipes with each street reconstruction project while also working with property owners along those streets to replace the service line leading into their building. Those pipes are the responsibility of the homeowner, but grant funding is available to ease the cost.
“We have a program through the DNR that can [give homeowners] $5,000 to do that work yourself,” said Rosenberg. “You line up your plumber and we’ll help you with the grant, and replace that.”
With that formula and any additional homeowners who come forward to get theirs replaced voluntarily, she says the city has been able to replace about 100 of the lines per year. That still leaves a significant chunk of the city with lead pipes going into their homes.
“We’ve been talking about how we get this done more quickly? How do we just get it done and replace everything?” She says American Rescue Act funding, which will bring the city about $15.5 million, could be a start to that.
“We aren’t in a super rush to decide how that funding will be allocated. We want to make sure we will be doing the right things with it; spending it on applicable projects,” she adds.
The city can take their time with that discussion as well. American Rescue Act funds don’t have to be spent until 2024.
Other options that have been floated include partnering with local plumbers to replace some of the lines each year or hiring more city workers who would focus on just doing lead pipe replacements.
The first option would cost around $4 million per year. The second would involve the hiring of 12 new full-time employees for the city’s utility and cost around $4.7 million. Both would put the city on a timeline to have all lead service lines replaced within 15 years.
Rosenberg adds the city’s goal is to have all of the lead service lines replaced as a matter of public health. “We don’t want anybody having lead in their water; [especially] kids, schools all of that.”
The city’s Water Works Commission, which Rosenberg chairs, will continue to hold discussions on the issue for the next few weeks and a formal measure will likely go to the full city council this summer. Rosenberg anticipates there will be some back and forth on the issue with the council before a final decision is reached.
Other topics Mayor Rosenberg discussed with WSAU’s Mike Leischner include:
Start of video- City efforts to replace lead service lines
8:00- Continued discussion on “A Community for All” resolution
13:00- Summertime events ready to pop and Katie’s memories of the Wausau Center Mall
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