Water service line. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Contractors interested in being part of Wausau’s lead service line replacement program starting this summer will have an opportunity to learn more about the effort on Thursday.
Program Manager Eric Jones says they need to cast a wide net as they look to replace thousands of lead pipes in the city over the next five years. “That’s going to require a pretty heavy lift from a plumbing contractor.”
He says they’ve already made contact with several contractors who will be involved in the effort but they want to make sure they aren’t leaving anyone out. He adds that the program presents an opportunity to further develop the skilled labor pool in the area as well. “While we do have the goal of replacing 8,000 service lines there is a bigger picture of a community-driven project. so it is important to us that we also use these dollars as opportunities to create a local workforce,” added Jones.
That includes partnerships with local trade unions and even presentations to school districts for students who may be interested in some on-the-job training over a summer.
Jones and his team aren’t just looking for plumbers and trenches. If any landscaping is disturbed as part of the replacement the program will cover the cost to restore it. “There’s a good chance we will need subcontractors to do tree removal, asphalt, and flat work. Anything that you can think of that would go into replacing a lead service line, that’s what we are going to need.”
The program, known as EquiFlow, will replace all 8,000 of the lead service lines still in use in the city at no cost to the homeowner. The program will begin with a few hundred lines being replaced this summer and will ramp up to thousands of lines over the following four years. By 2028 all of the lines should be replaced.
Those who haven’t signed up for the session can visit the Community Infrastructure Partners Wausau website. The meeting will be held virtually.
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