By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com
In recent weeks drivers who have discovered road closures on Franklin Street, Esterly Avenue and Prairie Street may have wondered what is causing the inconvenience. The city is in the midst of a major project to remove all of the lead water pipes that were installed decades ago.
Of particular interest is the fact that parking and traffic downtown on Main Street will be affected by this project beginning the week of July 21. See the bold text at the bottom of this article.
The Whitewater Banner asked Public Works Director Brad Marquardt and Water Superintendent Josh Hyndman the questions that are in italics below. We appreciate their taking the time to provide a very comprehensive reply.
How many lines are being replaced, and approximately how many have been completed? There are approximately 150 water lines on the public side (water main to the curb stop) and approximately 160 water lines on the private side (curb stop to the meter in the house). I say approximate because as the project progresses, we are finding copper laterals where we thought we had lead and vice versa. A lot of this was due to partial replacements in the past. There was a leak and only some of the pipe was replaced and the records were not entirely correct. They are not quite halfway through the project.
The project is entirely funded by the federal government? The City is receiving a Safe Drinking Water Program [SDWP] Loan for this work. The work on the private side has Principal Forgiveness. The replacement on the private side would typically be the responsibility of the property owner. But with the Principal Forgiveness, the property owners will not have to pay anything. The work on the public side is being financed through the SDWP Loan at a 0.25% interest rate.
Will this remove all the lead pipes in the city, or will there be commercial/institutional buildings that may still have them? This will remove all lead pipes except a few public side laterals on Jefferson Street that will be replaced next year with the Jefferson Street reconstruction project.
What is the level of risk that residents may have had with using water from the pipes? This is taken from our website: Lead in the Environment
Lead is a naturally occurring metal that can be toxic to humans and animals if ingested. It can be found in the air, soil, water, and inside our homes. Lead has been used in many products found around the home in the form of paint, ceramics, plumbing materials, gasoline, batteries, and cosmetics. When lead is released into the air, it can travel long distances before settling to the ground.
As you know, exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems. Click here to view more information regarding the health effects of lead.
Please share this information with anyone who drinks and/or cooks using water at your property. In addition to people directly served at your property, this can include people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, businesses, as well as parents served by childcare at your property.
Lead and Drinking Water
Although the majority of lead exposure comes from sources around the home and in the environment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that between 10 – 20% of lead exposure comes from drinking water. Lead service lines were typically installed before 1950. Lead pipes are dull gray in color and are soft enough to be easily scratched with a house key. Also, a magnet will not stick to a lead pipe.
Whitewater’s water does not have lead present when it leaves our wells and our water mains do not contain lead. However, water can be contaminated as it travels through the lead service pipes that connect some older homes to the water mains, since these service pipes can slowly corrode over time. You can easily determine if your water service line is lead by inspecting the water line entering your home from the street, usually located in the basement.
There are a number of factors that can contribute to the amount of lead that enters your drinking water, including the corrosivity of the water, the temperature of the water as it passes through the pipes, and the length of time between water use while the water remains idle in the pipes. Hot water and water that has been sitting in the pipes for long periods of time are more likely to pick up contaminants from the pipes and fixtures. The City of Whitewater Utility tests the drinking water each year for contaminants, including lead, to ensure that your drinking water continues to be safe to drink.
Approximately how long is it going to take to complete? The project is scheduled to be completed by early September. Some of the work is weather dependent, which could add some days to the project.
Can you give an approximate timeline of what streets come next? Streets remaining after Franklin Street include W. Main Street downtown, Prairie Street north of Main Street and then the majority of the service lines that are left are south of Main St, west of Franklin Street, north of Walworth Ave and east of Prince Street.
They will start on North Prairie and Starin and work to the south. They are going to do all the water services that are Public side or Utility ones. They don’t always have a drill rig with them to bore into the house. They are able to pull the water services from the curb stop or main shut off and pull new 1” copper back with it to the water main. They will have it ready to have a drill rig come in and knock out the full water service lines or the water lines that are going into the homes.
Any other info that may be of interest to the public? All property owners who have a known private side lead water service line have been notified. This was done to obtain permission to enter the house.
…W. Main Street between Whitewater Street and 2nd Street has 24 service lines that need to be replaced. In order to expediate this work, the contractor is bringing in a second crew. This work will cause some disruptions to the traveling public. Starting July 21st, there will be no parking on either side of W. Main Street between Whitewater Street and 2nd Street. Westbound traffic will be detoured using Whitewater Street and Franklin Street. Eastbound traffic will be shifted to the south parking lane to allow room for the contractor to work. The contractor is hoping to have all water service lines replaced during the week of July 21. Restoration of sidewalks, curb and gutter, and asphalt pavement is scheduled for the week of July 28. All work is anticipated to be complete and the street and parking back open by August 1st.
