Bronson inventory finds roughly one-third of service lines tied to galvanized/lead connections; EPAs accelerated 10-year removal window raises funding concerns

At the Bronson City Council meeting, consultant Mike Schwarz presented results of a state-funded distribution materials inventory that found about one-third of the villages water service lines are classified as lead-related or galvanized with an expected lead "whip." Schwarz said crews reached about 800 of 850 active services and completed 315 potholes to verify service-line materials.

The inventory was completed under a state DW grant that required verification of a randomized 20% sample and allowed extrapolation to the full system. Schwarz said the grant period began in 2021, the project received an extension, and the city submitted the complete distribution material inventory (a line-by-line list and a map) to state regulators this week. The data, Schwarz said, are also in the citys GIS and spreadsheet records and have been prioritized in the DPW database.

Why it matters: the consultant said approximately 298 service lines were classified as 'lead' (galvanized with an 18-inch lead whip) and about 319 were galvanized lines that showed evidence of previous lead connection; roughly one-third of services were copper. Schwarz emphasized older mains (1930sand 1950s) were disproportionately likely to have galvanized or lead connections.

Schwarz and staff reviewed next steps and funding options. The presentation included a draft capital-improvement/financial plan and noted that many of the oldest 4-inch mains will require full main replacement at some point. Staff said low-interest DWSRF-style loans are a likely financing tool and that the DPW plans to perform some replacements in-house to control costs. Schwarz said the inventory makes it possible to prioritize work by ease of replacement and to focus first on cases that do not require main-line replacement.

Council members and staff flagged the policy timeline announced during the presentation: Schwarz said new EPA implementation guidance shortens the previously discussed timeline and effectively moves full lead-service-line removal into a 10-year window. One council member said that acceleration creates a large, expensive task for a small community and called funding and phasing 'a big topic' for future planning; the speaker mentioned a figure of "25 to 30" per year without clarifying units or whether that was a cost-per-service or thousands of dollars per year.

Schwarz said the inventory and map are available to the city and were submitted to state regulators; DPW has already completed about 13 service-line replacements this year and has prioritized additional work in the asset database. The presentation concluded with no further public questions.

Next steps: the city will use the submitted inventory and the draft financial plan to refine phasing and to seek appropriate financing. The council did not take further formal action at the meeting beyond receiving the presentation.