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Norway council hires engineering firm to complete state loan/grant application for lead service-line replacements
Summary
The Norway City Council approved hiring Coleman Engineering for up to $4,000 to finish and file a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund application to replace an estimated 700 lead or galvanized water service lines; staff warned the full project could cost roughly $10,000 per line and stretch to 2030 and beyond.
The Norway City Council on March 2 approved a proposal to hire Coleman Engineering to complete and file a Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) application aimed at replacing lead and galvanized water service lines.
City staff described the request as an administrative step to finish an application Coleman helped begin. An engineer representing the firm described an estimated inventory of about 700 affected service lines in the combined city-township service area and said current engineering estimates place the construction cost at roughly $10,000 per service line — an order-of-magnitude estimate that would place total project costs near $7 million if all lines were replaced.
Council members and staff emphasized the replacement requirement is driven by federal and state mandates that shift responsibility for many service-line corrections to the utility rather than individual homeowners. The Coleman representative said the DWSRF scoring rewards applicants that commit to replacing more than 50% of service lines (e.g., 351 of 700), which can improve chances of receiving grant funding in combination with low-interest loan financing.
Staff walked the council through timing and program mechanics: the application deadline is June 1, draft priority lists typically appear in early September, and awards often are announced around Oct. 1. Staff and the engineer warned that award notifications can require rapid acceptance (a few days), which may necessitate a special council meeting to accept an award and finalize loan terms.
The council moved to authorize Coleman Engineering for professional services not to exceed $4,000 to complete and file the DWSRF application; the motion carried with members recorded as saying “yes” during roll call on the motion.
The council asked staff to calculate the cityand township blended median household income and other eligibility metrics (used for the DWSRF "overburdened" status) before advancing beyond the application phase. Staff said they would return with those calculations and keep the council updated if the city qualifies for additional grant funding or when loan terms become available.
Officials stressed the $10,000 per line figure and the 700-line estimate are approximate and depend on future bids, the mix of public vs. private-side work, and final program requirements.
The council approved the Coleman engagement and directed staff to proceed with application submittal and follow up with eligibility metrics and any required public hearing if the project advances.
