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Cleveland Water commissioner tells Northfield council most homes likely free of lead service lines, outlines affordability programs
Summary
At the Jan. 25 meeting, Cleveland Water Commissioner Alex Margevicius told the Village of Northfield council that, given the village’s installation history, only a handful of homes — if any — are likely to have lead service lines; he described orthophosphate corrosion control, testing steps, and assistance programs that can cut eligible bills by about 40%.
Cleveland Water Commissioner Alex Margevicius told the Village of Northfield council on Jan. 25 that, based on when most local water lines were installed, ‘‘it is likely that no more than a handful of houses, if any, in the Village have lead pipes.’’ He introduced department colleague Margaret Jackson and encouraged residents to contact her with water-related questions.
Margevicius said the utility adds orthophosphate to the water ‘‘which coats the pipes and protects everyone against lead.’’ He encouraged homeowners to inspect service lines and try simple home tests — a magnet and a penny — and to notify the Water Department if the tests indicate a lead service so replacement can be scheduled.
The commissioner reviewed the Suburban Water Main and Lead Service Line Replacement Programs and described customer-assistance options: the Homestead Program for residents 65 and older and a Water Affordability Program for low-income customers. ‘‘Both programs can save eligible customers 40% off of their bills,’’ he said. He also noted the utility resumed collections on delinquent accounts in July 2021.
Councilmember Nick Magistrelli asked about estimated meter readings. Margevicius said the utility’s ability to read meters remotely has ‘‘reduced the percentage of estimated bills from 17% to 2%,’’ but that readings can still be difficult in low-lying areas or where interference prevents a remote read and must be resolved by a truck-mounted read with adjustments applied once an actual reading is obtained.
Why this matters: corrosion control, targeted replacements, and affordability programs affect public-health risk and household utility costs. The commissioner provided practical steps residents can take to test service lines and pointed to Water Department staff as the contact for follow-up.
The council did not take formal action on water policy at this meeting. Commissioner Margevicius urged residents to reach out to Margaret Jackson with questions about lead testing, billing, or assistance programs.
