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Fargo outlines lead service line replacement plan; utility to cover local share with conditional $1,000 customer charge
Summary
City water-utility staff presented a federal grant-backed plan to remove roughly 2,100 lead service lines in Fargo, proposing the utility cover the local share while homeowners would face a conditional $1,000 charge that can be waived.
City water-utility staff presented the planned lead service line replacement program and asked the commission to approve program parameters that would use available federal grant funding and low-interest loans to remove lead service lines across neighborhoods primarily in the city’s older core.
Presenters said the current inventory identifies just over 2,100 lead service lines in Fargo, with 44 service lines still listed as unknown. The funding figure presented in the packet and discussed in the meeting totaled $35,000,000; staff said grant funding would cover at least 66.5% of eligible costs and that the local share could be about $11,700,000 if all funds were used as presently described.
Staff described a proposal in which the water utility would cover 100% of the local share and homeowners would be assessed a flat $1,000 service-charge on replacement work but that charge would be waived if the homeowner completed required customer responsibilities and EPA-mandated follow-up sampling. The city also noted a State Revolving Fund (SRF) drinking-water loan would be used for any local-financing component; the presentation referenced favorable loan terms but specific interest figures in the meeting audio were not clearly stated and should be confirmed with the utility.
Staff emphasized the program is time-limited: the federal grant funding window was described as running through a date cited in the presentation; staff said they would seek extensions if possible but recommended moving quickly to enroll neighborhoods for construction efficiencies. Commissioners discussed outreach, targeting construction by neighborhood to boost participation rates, and ongoing efforts to seek additional grant funding and a separate $350,000 Thriving Communities grant for two neighborhoods announced in liaison remarks.
A motion to proceed with the replacement program under the described parameters passed by roll call vote.
