Lead pipes have been replaced in 51 homes in Wausau, and 133 homes are scheduled to be replaced in August as part of a federally funded program.
WAUSAU – Wausau’s novel lead service line replacement program, funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Act of 2021, is well into its first year.
The Environmental Protection Agency updated its regulations on lead in drinking water in 2021, which coincided with billions of dollars in infrastructure investments by Congress.
Wausau participated in an accelerator program while the EPA developed new systems to deliver the new funds. The city benefited from being a pioneer in the program, securing $5.7 million in the first of five years the funds will be available.
To secure additional funds, the city is considering an ordinance that would require the replacement of the estimated 8,000 lead pipes in the city. A full committee meeting to discuss this will be held on August 19 at 6:45 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.
Here’s what else you need to know about the program.
Why did the EPA update the drinking water regulations?
Lead is a toxic metal that is harmful to health even at low levels and accumulates in the human body over time.
Low-level lead exposure in children “is associated with damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, learning disabilities, short stature, hearing loss, and impaired blood cell formation and function,” according to the EPA. Pregnant women exposed to lead may experience reduced fetal growth or premature births. Adults exposed to lead may experience cardiovascular effects such as increased blood pressure or hypertension, reduced kidney function, and reproductive problems.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first issued regulations on lead and copper in 1991. These set a target value of zero for permissible lead contamination in drinking water, but at the same time prescribed a limit of 15 parts per billion.
Updates to the lead and copper regulations in 2021 led to new efforts to identify and remove lead in drinking water systems across the country.
“For the first time in nearly thirty years, this action takes best practices into account and strengthens every aspect of the rule. This includes closing loopholes, accelerating the actual pace of lead service line replacement, and ensuring that lead pipes are completely replaced,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a 2020 press release announcing the rule changes.
How is Wausau using the $5.7 million in federal funds it received?
The City of Wausau in February entered into a contract with Community Infrastructure Partners (CIP), also known as Equiflow, to conduct a community-based public-private partnership (CBP3). EPA has pioneered the use of this model in recent years to make infrastructure investments in a way that benefits local contractors and facilitates smaller projects like rainfall control in Milwaukee.
The city estimated that removing 8,000 lead lines would cost $80 million, with the national average price per line being $10,000, Eric Jones, project manager at Equiflow, told a Wausau Daily Herald reporter. After the city’s agreement with Equiflow was finalized and federal funding was secured, Equiflow invited 30 contractors to an informational meeting, and ultimately six of them applied and were deemed eligible to bid on work related to lead line replacement.
The construction contract was awarded to Waukesha-based Five Star Energy Services, which agreed to a flat fee of $4,820 for a customer-side replacement and $6,000 for a complete lead service line replacement.
Because the cost of the replacement is lower than estimated, the federal funds will fully fund approximately 700 lead line replacements for eligible property owners in the first year of the program. The city will submit its next funding request in October.
Why is the city considering an ordinance requiring the removal of lead service lines?
According to Eric Lindman, director of public works and utilities for the city of Wausau, updates to federal regulations on lead levels in drinking water have created a particular tension point with water service lines. The portion of the line that lies on a property owner’s property is considered the customer’s property, but water flowing through that portion does not become the customer’s property until it passes the meter, which is usually located in a building on the property.
Before the rule change, the City of Wausau had been doing “partial replacements” of lead pipes when it could not reach an agreement with a property owner to replace the entire pipe. However, partial replacements have been shown to dislodge lead particles that can then enter a property’s water system.
Additional drinking water regulations introduced by the EPA in November 2023 set a 10-year timeframe to replace all water supply pipes made of lead or galvanized steel. Galvanized steel can trap and unexpectedly release lead particles and is considered as dangerous as lead pipes.
The ordinance mandating their removal, which the Wausau City Council will consider on Aug. 19, already anticipates this impending requirement. Once the regulations are fully in effect, the remaining lead pipes on private water supplies could cause the city’s water system to fail to meet water quality standards unless they are all replaced.
Where can I find the proposed “mandate” wording?
The Water Resources Commission began talking about such an ordinance in 2020, Lindman told a Daily Herald reporter. It went through several iterations before reaching the July 9 City Council meeting, where council members put the ordinance on hold until August so they had more time to consider the issue.
The wording of the regulation states that the obligation would only be enforceable as long as federal, state or local cost assistance programs were available to reduce the cost burden on property owners.
A draft of the current version of the ordinance can be found on the city’s website in the “Information on lead” section.
Lindman said passing the ordinance would allow the city to apply for additional federal grants without imposing unexpected, excessive costs on property owners.
What role does Equiflow play in this project?
Equiflow has visited nearly 2,000 homes to date and identified 481 homes eligible for utility line replacement. As of July 19, 51 homes have had their lines replaced this year, and 133 homes are expected to have their lines replaced in August.
A key performance indicator in the city’s contract with Equiflow is to hire Wisconsin-based and target-class companies to perform construction work. Target-class companies include small businesses that are either minority-, woman-, or veteran-owned, or have a unionized workforce. Equiflow meets both of these goals through its contract with Five Star.
Equiflow’s primary role in carrying out the lead line replacement program is communications, public relations and information. Lindman told a Daily Herald reporter that the city does not have enough staff to handle all of the tasks to the extent that Equiflow does.
Equiflow identifies the neighborhoods most likely to have lead service lines, contacts homeowners, schedules inspections, coordinates work with the city to reduce street closures and other disruptions, and ensures the work is completed and the property is returned to its original condition.
As Equiflow expands over the next few years, the new jobs created in the service area will be used to train apprentices for union members, helping to build a skilled local workforce.
Where can property owners find more information?
Visit leadfreewausau.com for information on Equiflow and lead service line removal in Wausau.
Property owners in Wausau can perform a “self-verification” to determine if their property has a lead service line by submitting a photo of their water meter and service line through leadfreewausau.com/self-verification.
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Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK – Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at [email protected].
