FDL City Council Looking at New Way to Help Homeowners w/ Cost of Lead Pipe Replacement

The Fond du Lac City Council is looking at using water utility revenue money to help homeowners offset the cost of lead pipe replacement. The city has been replacing lead service lines to homes for the last two summers using a “Safe Drinking Water Loan” that helps property owners pay for up to fifty percent of the cost of replacing the pipes. The change is being considered after a state law made using revenue generated by the water utility to offset the cost a possibility. City Manager Joe Moore says the cost savings between the two programs would be about the same, so no homeowner would feel shorted if and when the change is made. Moore says the average cost per lead pipe replacement is currently around $3,300, and he says the city estimates the number of lead pipes that need to be replaced to be around 4,000. Moore says the shift to using water utility money makes sense because its a more permanent source of funding, as opposed to a grant or loan, where money is used up.