Leading on Lead Removal
October 30, 2024
Leading on Lead Removal
By Senator Jeff Smith
For years now you have probably heard officials warn about Lead Service Lines (LSL) or lead laterals. These are the pipes that bring water into a home or business from the main waterline out in the street. Every budget year, whether it be local, state or federal government, there are debates over funds for removing LSL’s to private homes.
The reason for concern is because lead has been proven to cause many health issues. There is no safe level of lead exposure no matter your age. In adults it is proven to cause neuropathy and to weaken bone health. The neurological effects in children, though, are most alarming. Lead can be the cause of ADHD, delayed learning, lower IQ, developmental problems and even hypertension.
In other words, lead is poisonous to anyone.
Lead components have been banned since 1986. But there are plenty of homes that still have lead laterals. In Wisconsin there are 141,473 known private lead service lines. In the City of Eau Claire alone there are an estimated 1,200 homes in need of pipe replacement.
The water many people consume may be poisoning them through no fault of their own. It can be a daunting task for a private homeowner to remove these lines. That is why programs have been established to help with that removal. Funding has too often been the stumbling block, though.
The Wisconsin DNR offers free technical assistance to small municipalities that report LSL’s in their distribution system. As of June of this year 280 systems have received that assistance.
Wisconsin began a pilot program in 2017-18 using $26 million in unused funds that 40 municipalities took advantage of. Around 7,000 lines were removed through that program.
In 2021-22 Wisconsin was one of eight states that participated in the Water Infrastructure Fund Transfer Act (WIFTA). With the $63.8 million from WIFTA, 14,000 private LSLs were removed in 132 municipalities.
As you can see, this problem is widespread and expensive to solve. Up to now, we have moved at a tortoise speed attacking a problem that is affecting millions of citizens daily.
Wisconsin will receive up to $400 million to address LSL’s from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). This will take place from 2024 through 2027. According to the DNR the average cost of removing a private LSL in your home is $4,220 though that can vary depending on location and other factors. The BIL funding will not be nearly enough to remove all those dangerous lead lines but it is a start. The Governor requested $200 million for LSL removal in the 2023-25 budget but it was not in the final budget approved by the legislature.
Some municipalities are desperately searching for ways to accelerate the removal of LSL’s with their own limited funds. The City of Eau Claire is just now kicking off their own program using Capital Improvement Project funds rather than DNR funding. To find out if you qualify for this program, simply call to schedule a test of your pipe and if you have lead pipes, the city will pay up to $3,000 to replace the piping. Through this new local program the homeowner enlists a contractor who then directly bills the city.
To learn more about lead service line replacement in Eau Claire, or to confirm whether your water service line material is a lead service line, please contact the Utility Division at 715-839-5045 or email LeadServiceLine@eauclairewi.gov.
While it is encouraging that such a program is available in Eau Claire, whether you have safe drinking water should not depend on where you live. Everyone should feel free to drink their tap water knowing it is safe. With a projected $4.6 billion budget surplus there is no excuse for Wisconsin dragging its feet.