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Council holds first readings on two OEPA loan applications to replace lead service lines
Summary
Norwood council approved first readings for two ordinances to apply for roughly $400,000 each from the Ohio EPA to replace lead water service lines on Montgomery Road and Ralston Avenue; staff described payment terms and typical costs for homeowners.
Norwood City Council gave first readings Tuesday to two loan-application ordinances that would let the city seek about $400,000 from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) to replace lead water service lines on two corridors: Montgomery Road (Norwood Avenue to Fenwick Avenue) and Ralston Avenue (Worth Avenue to Dale Road).
Mr. Powers, identified in the meeting as the safety service director, told council the loan program would cover the private-side portion of service-line replacements. Under the program described at the meeting, homeowners would typically repay about 47% of the replacement cost (the example given was $470 on a $1,000 job) with the remaining share forgiven; the city has 20 years to repay the loan, although residents commonly repay over five years.
Council members asked how the $400,000 figure was determined. Mr. Powers said the figure is the maximum loan amount and assumes every property in the targeted stretch has a lead line; actual expenditures should be lower if some properties do not require replacement. He also said the typical consumer-side replacement cost is around $8,000.
Council and staff noted timing advantages from coordinating replacements with planned road or water-line construction on Montgomery Road to avoid repetitive digging and potential lead disturbance during separate works. "It's definitely a better move to go ahead and just make sure that it's not lead all the way back into the house," Mr. Powers said.
Both ordinances received unanimous first-reading votes (all members present voted yes). Council discussed that, because only five members were present, it could not suspend the rules to consider all three readings in one meeting; members identified special-meeting procedures as an option if time-sensitive action is required.
Why it matters: Replacing lead service lines reduces exposure risk for residents and may be timed efficiently with other infrastructure work; the OEPA loan requires local action to apply and a repayment mechanism for participating properties.
What’s next: The ordinances will return for subsequent readings; staff recommended applying for the OEPA loan promptly to align construction with planned road work and to meet program timing requirements.
Ending: Council moved the measures forward on first reading and asked staff to include the lead-line applications among items to consider at forthcoming special meetings focused on the city’s financial recovery plan and time-sensitive funding applications.
