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Milwaukee committee hears detailed update on lead service line replacements and testing; owner share set at $3,454 for 2026
Summary
Milwaukee Water Works told the Public Works Committee it will set the 2026 private-side owner share for lead service line replacement at $3,454, aims for 5,000 replacements next year, and reported most elevated post-replacement water samples were tied to internal plumbing or incomplete flushing rather than the main service line.
MilwaukeeWater Works staff briefed the cityPublic Works Committee on the lead service line replacement program, including an updated owner cost-share number and the results of semiannual water testing.
The department proposed setting the 2026 average private-side replacement charge at $3,454, Patrick Pauley, Waterworks superintendent, said. He told the committee that the full-service replacement cost the department cites is about $7,389 — a figure the department said is below many national comparators — and that the lower owner-share number reflects trenchless installation methods and competitive contract pricing.
Why it matters: City testimony said roughly 65,000 lead laterals remain and the program plans about 5,000 replacements in 2026 (3,800 prioritized packages and additional base-program work for leaks, failures and child-care sites). The Environmental…
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