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Pelican Rapids authorizes bid advertising for $1 million lead service line replacement project
Summary
The Pelican Rapids City Council authorized Apex Engineering to advertise construction bids for a lead service line replacement project funded by a $1,000,000 Public Facilities Authority grant, with work likely to occur in 2027 and no per-resident cap on replacement costs, officials said.
The Pelican Rapids City Council on July 14 voted to authorize Apex Engineering to advertise construction bids for a lead and galvanized water-service-line replacement project funded by a $1,000,000 grant from the Public Facilities Authority (PFA).
Bob Schleeman of Apex Engineering told the council the change follows revisions to the EPA’s lead and copper rule and local inventories completed in 2024–25. “The Environmental Protection Agency a few years ago changed what’s called the lead and copper rule… the goal is to replace any and all water service line within your systems by the year 2033,” Schleeman said. He added, “We were able to secure 1000000 dollars on behalf of the city.”
Schleeman said plans and specifications are complete and he requested authorization to advertise for construction bids. He said the city will typically advertise for 30 days and is prepared to re-advertise if no bidders respond. Council approved the motion by voice vote.
In question-and-answer with council members, Schleeman said the grant award represents the maximum available to any single public water supplier from the PFA and described the funding as grant dollars, not local debt: “It’s all in the form of grant dollars,” he said. He also said there is no standardized per-resident maximum; project costs will depend on property-specific conditions such as retaining walls or other obstacles.
Council members pressed about timelines and homeowner participation. Schleeman said crews are continuing to verify service-line materials and maintain a list of participants so contractors can prepare accurate bids; given state certification and paperwork timelines, much of the construction work is likely to occur in 2027.
Next steps: Apex will advertise for bids, staff will proceed with procurement as required, and the city will return to council if scope or funding changes require additional action.
