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Fremont to cover full cost of private lead service‑line replacements under $8M state grant
Summary
Council approved terms to use an $8 million state grant and associated loan to replace private lead service lines; staff said the city will pay 100% of replacements for affected properties (estimated 600–800 lines at roughly $12,000–$15,000 each).
The Fremont City Council approved a resolution authorizing the terms for a lead service line replacement program that staff said will be funded primarily by an $8 million state award and will pay 100% of private‑side replacements so the burden does not fall unevenly on homeowners.
Troy Shaven, assistant utility general manager, told the council the 2024 EPA rule requires water systems to remove lead service lines and that the mandate falls on the system, not property owners. He said the city applied for and received an $8 million package from the state—about $5.6 million is ultimately forgivable and $2.4 million would be a 0% loan over 40 years—and staff intends to use that funding to pay for private‑side replacements rather than asking property owners to contribute.
Shaven gave a planning estimate that the city has roughly 14,000 services, of which 746 are currently known or suspected lead, galvanized or unknown; staff expects to reduce that to 600–800 lines requiring replacement and estimated unit costs of approximately $12,000 to $15,000 per service line. The administration said it will require homeowners to sign access agreements and will provide warranties; the city is not planning to replace in‑home plumbing as part of this program.
Councilmembers welcomed the approach while noting inside‑home lead plumbing could remain an outstanding issue for homeowners. Angie Olsen (plan administrator) and staff agreed to research homeowner resources for interior remediation.
The resolution authorizing program terms carried 8–0.
