Local efforts to remove lead pipes under pressure as EPA gives ten year deadline

EAU CLAIRE — Local efforts to remove lead and copper piping from city lines and owner's homes are under increased time pressures as the EPA recently announced such projects need to be completed within a decade.

Seth Smiskey, a utilities supervisor for the City of Eau Claire, said that while the city has been working on replacing the pipes since 2017, the EPA's deadline does put on the pressure.

"There's definitely more urgency for sure," he said.

A part of the problem is that while the city was aware of their own pipes, there was no tracking system for when lead and copper piping was used in people's homes.

"There's two sections," said Smiskey. "There's what we would consider the property owned or the private side (and what) would be considered the public side. We have pretty good records of what is on the public side. Unfortunately, up until 2017, there (were) not many records kept for what is on the private side."

As such, he explained that the city does not know how many lead containing components exist throughout the city as it pertains to the private side of things.

"We have started keeping records since 2017," he said. "We have a much better idea, but there's still a fair amount out there that we're not sure of at this moment."

To combat the problem, he said that, starting in 2017, the city's technician would go out and check the service material coming into a house when it came time to change the water meter. Water meters in the city are changed every ten years.

He also said they've gone door to door asking owners of homes built prior to 1950 if they can take a look.

Because much of this unknown lead piping is a part of the owner's property, owners would be responsible for the cost of replacing the pipes if it weren't for grants.

"There's a $3,000 grant that the city provides which would go towards the replacement of a galvanized or lead service line if we find it," he said.

The grant program was started in 2017 as well, but originally was for a lower dollar amount. Since the grant program's dollar amount was raised, those who already had their lead piping replaced have been further reimbursed by the city with DNR funding.

This update to the EPA standards began on October 8 and affects the entire United States.

Representatives from the cities of Chippewa Falls and Altoona were not available for comment.