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City moves forward on lead-service-line inventory and SRF loan option; homeowners may pay a modest fee
Summary
City staff outlined lead-and-copper rule obligations and available SRF loan funding with 66% forgiveness; the commission discussed covering the city’s share and a possible homeowner contribution of about $500 per service line to encourage replacements.
City staff and the engineering representative updated the commission on the lead-and-copper rule (LCRI) requirements and the city’s options for replacing lead service lines. Staff said the new rule will begin next fall and activate a 10-year replacement period; Washburn currently has 16 known lead service lines and several hundred unknowns that must be investigated.
The city has applied for State Revolving Fund (SRF) assistance with a loan that includes an estimated 66% principal forgiveness on eligible work. The presenter outlined options for covering the city’s 34% share, including using water enterprise funds or adopting a homeowner contribution. One commonly used approach cited in the meeting was a flat homeowner fee (for example $500) to make the program affordable and to increase resident participation in voluntary replacements.
Staff emphasized the need to decide how the city will fund the local match because the choice must be stated on the SRF loan application. Commissioners discussed timing, contractor availability and that a contractor could likely complete the known 16 replacements in a single construction season if scheduled. Staff said unknown service lines on the inventory will be treated as lead until proven otherwise, which increases the urgency of pot-holing and service-line verification.
The commission directed staff to proceed with the application work and budget planning and discussed the homeowner-contribution approach as a likely option to reduce barriers for residents. The commission will finalize the funding approach when the loan application is finalized.
Next steps: staff will finalize the SRF loan application, refine the inventory and provide cost estimates and an implementation plan for commission review prior to final loan submission.
