Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Lead Lateral Replacement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Staff reports progress on lead-lateral replacements, outlines funding shortfall and options
Summary
Staff reported ongoing replacements of public and private lead service laterals in Hartford, Slinger and West Bend, said current ARPA funding and county borrowing have financed immediate work, and estimated that completing the countywide lead-lateral program could cost roughly $15 million in today’s dollars; staff are exploring low-interest state
County staff reported continued progress replacing lead service laterals in multiple municipalities and outlined funding needs to complete countywide work.
Scott said the city of Hartford completed five public-side lateral replacements, the Village of Slinger completed three private-side laterals (with more to come) and the City of West Bend finished 11 public-side and 64 private-side laterals on recently reconstructed streets. He told the committee those projects are moving forward as contractors and schedules permit.
On funding, Scott reminded the committee that the county used roughly $3 million in ARPA funds for the program and borrowed an additional approximately $3 million to continue the work. He said, however, that estimating completion for all remaining public and private laterals in the county at today’s prices could be roughly $15 million, and that costs could rise with inflation. Scott said staff are exploring other financing options, including low-interest state loan programs (which require pre-application and application steps and have multi-year lead times), and coordinating with cities (Hartford and West Bend) about borrowing and cost-sharing models.
Scott also said federal and state program rules and deadlines complicate funding eligibility; he noted a federal deadline in the record for related funding programs and said staff are monitoring potential policy changes that might expand funding opportunities. The committee asked that staff continue to pursue alternative funding sources and report back as options, bids and timelines become clearer.
