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Council adopts DWSRF project plan to replace lead service lines
Summary
The council approved a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund project plan to target roughly 200 lead‑service connections in Bronson, a one‑third slice of the roughly 595 identified services, with an estimated project cost of $2.5 million and an application due June 1.
Bronson’s city council on Monday approved a project plan to apply for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) financing to replace lead‑connected service lines in the city.
Mike Schwartz of Prime New Milford presented the plan, saying the project would focus solely on lead‑service replacements identified through past grant work. He told the council the city has about 595 services still connected via galvanized or lead fittings and proposed replacing roughly one‑third of those — about 200 services — in the initial project. "We proposed with city staff to replace about a third of the system. It's estimated about $2.5 million," Schwartz said.
Schwartz used a planning assumption of a 20‑year loan at 3 percent for the council’s projections. Using that scenario, and without principal forgiveness, the repayment would equate to about $14 per customer per month, he said. He also said Bronson qualified as a "significant overburden" community — a scoring classification that awards 25 points and improves chances for funding and principal forgiveness under the DWSRF program.
The presentation noted typical short‑term construction impacts — traffic disruption, noise and temporary water outages at individual homes — and described standard environmental reviews required for federal funding. Staff also said the project plan had been posted to the city website for the required public‑review period and that public comments would be incorporated into the final submittal.
The council voted to adopt resolution 26‑5‑11 and to include the meeting minutes and sign‑in sheet in the submittal package, which staff said must be filed by June 1. The resolution authorizes staff to finalize and submit the project plan and related documents to the DWSRF program.
Why it matters: Replacing lead service materials is a long‑term public‑health and compliance task; securing DWSRF funding can reduce the city’s cost burden and increase chances for principal forgiveness, lowering household impacts. The council’s action moves the project from planning toward formal application and potential construction if funding is awarded.
What’s next: Staff will incorporate any public comments, finalize the project plan and submit the application by the June 1 deadline. The DWSRF scoring and funding decision will determine whether Bronson receives full funding, partial funding with principal forgiveness, or must reapply in a future cycle.
