Staff outlines lead service line replacements and PFA funding application

East Grand Forks City utility staff reported March 4 that crews have identified a total of 11 properties with lead or galvanized service-line conditions and are preparing plans and specifications for replacements.

Steve, speaking during the Water and Light Commission’s public reports section, said staff are visiting homes to document conditions with photos for inclusion in construction plans. He said the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA) requires a city resolution for the funding application; that resolution, he said, was approved by the city council the previous evening. Staff aim to submit plans and specs by the March 31 deadline.

The presentation included a description of one complex service arrangement in which the service split inside a home and fed another dwelling; staff said the line that branched off included lead. Steve said the team also found at least one galvanized service associated with a lead line, and that the current project list has grown to 11 affected services.

Commissioners asked whether sample borings for a related pond project had been completed; staff replied borings have not yet been done and cited frozen ground and seasonal constraints as reasons for the delay. Staff said they are arranging a conference call with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to clarify testing requirements for the pond work.

Why it matters: lead service-line replacement reduces residents’ exposure to lead in drinking water and often depends on outside funding. The PFA application and the March 31 plans-and-specifications deadline set a concrete near-term schedule for the work.

Next steps: staff said they will finish plans and specs, complete any required testing after consulting with MPCA, and proceed with the PFA application now that the council-resolution step is complete.