Hampshire board authorizes $20,358 to replace priority lead service line after high test result

Village staff described one priority property where recent sampling produced lead levels well above the program's thresholds; the service line was installed in 1945, is unusually long and runs through multiple backyards, and the resident is elderly. Staff said the village identified 17 known lead service lines across town and must begin replacing them at a rate of two per year beginning in 2027; the program also requires lead sampling every six months at 40 sites selected by population triggers.

Public-works staff explained the cost breakdown for the urgent house: roughly $15,000 for the new replacement line and up to an additional $5,000 to trace and remove the town-side lead connection back to the main on Grove Street, for a not-to-exceed total of $20,358. Trustees asked whether the lease of precedent would bind future decisions; several members urged a consistent policy for treatment of future homes and discussed options to prioritize replacements by risk and to consider partial cost-sharing for residents who want their work done sooner.

Trustees also noted that some neighborhoods could require broader street or main replacements; the village has contracted EEI to study whether holistic street rebuilds are warranted in areas with clustered lead lines. After discussion on funding and prioritization, the board approved the expenditure to replace the priority line and authorized staff to proceed (motion passed 6-0).