West Allis council holds public hearing on private-side lead service lateral replacements; staff outlines $2,000 assessment per unit

City staff outlined a plan at the March 24 West Allis Common Council meeting to replace private-side lead water service laterals, telling the council and residents that the project is required under an EPA mandate and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources rules and that funding is available this year.

“My name is Melinda Dieske, and I’m the city engineer,” said Melinda Dieske, who led the presentation. Dieske said the work targets the private portion of the service lateral (from the curb stop to the water meter or house) in areas where the public-side main has already been replaced. She said the city has secured a $1,270,000 Safe Drinking Water Fund loan and plans to collect about $480,000 in special assessments from benefited properties.

Why it matters: the presentation emphasized the regulatory clock and property-level costs. Dieske said the city is implementing state rules tied to an EPA timeline; “the city has to follow these mandates,” she told the council, adding that replacement of private-side lead laterals is mandatory when funding is available. Under the city’s program, the assessment for each lead service lateral would be $2,000 per unit, with property owners able to choose a lump-sum payment or a 5- or 10-year installment plan; installment plans carry 4% interest. The staff provided a sample payment schedule showing a 10-year payment starting at about $311.47 in 2027.

Scope, timeline and materials: staff said construction would be bid and awarded in 2025–26, with the contractor expected to start work roughly around May 1, 2026 and to substantially complete restoration by November 2026. Assistant City Engineer Rob Hutter described typical on-site work: “There’ll be an excavation about where the sidewalk is,” he said, estimating a sidewalk excavation roughly 5 by 5 feet and a small basement excavation around the meter (about 4 by 4 by 2 feet) to bore and reconnect the new pipe. Staff said contractors must carry required insurance and that the city will inspect the work and require a one-year warranty from the contractor.

Responsibility and assessments: Dieske stressed that the private side (from the curb stop to the house) is generally the property owner’s responsibility but that the city is making replacement mandatory in these areas when funding is available. The presentation said special assessments are permitted under Wisconsin statutes; West Allis plans to assess $2,000 per lead service lateral unit, with no front-foot or linear-foot charge. Staff said that historically West Allis has used special assessments for infrastructure for more than a century and that tax-exempt properties are also subject to the special assessments when they benefit from the work.

Residents’ questions: During public comment, residents raised concerns about whether the laterals would damage recently replaced sidewalks or require homeowners to pay twice. Cliff Hale, a 91st Street resident, asked, “Is this gonna affect the integrity of the new sidewalk?” Staff replied that sidewalk removal near the curb stop is factored into the project costs and would not damage the integrity of previously completed work and that contractors typically return to complete restoration. Amy Rose Murphy (1520 South 76th Street) asked whether the contractor would be excavating the floor or a wall and whether insurance would cover later problems; staff said contractors typically bore through the floor at the meter and cap any old wall penetrations and that contractor insurance required by city contracts would cover work-related claims.

Materials question: one resident asked about long-term performance of copper versus HDPE (plastic). Dieske said both copper and HDPE are state-approved materials and that the contract allows the contractor a choice between them.

Next steps: staff said the public hearing is the start of the formal process; the project will be considered by the Public Works Committee, which will make a recommendation back to the Common Council for final action. If the project proceeds on the schedule described by staff, construction would begin in 2026 after the council awards the contract and final special-assessment bills would be mailed after March 2027.

The council closed the public hearing after citizen questions and moved on to other agenda business.