Duluth prepares to spend $7.56 million to replace lead water lines - Duluth News Tribune

Duluth prepares to spend $7.56 million to replace lead water lines - Duluth News Tribune | News, weather, and sports from Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth prepares to spend $7.56 million to replace lead water lines

Despite a promising start, it will take years and much more funding to rid the city of lead water pipes.

DULUTH — The City Council will be asked Monday to approve a pair of resolutions preparing the way for projects replacing lead water service lines in Gary and Lincoln Park neighborhoods during the coming construction season.

If the resolutions pass, as anticipated, city staff will be authorized to spend more than $7.56 million to begin removing lead from Duluth’s water system, with work expected to start in April or May, depending on weather conditions.

The projects will replace 165-195 lead water service lines in Gary and another 201 in the lower, western side of Lincoln Park, said Brad Scott, a senior engineer for the city.

Eighteen child care facilities will be prioritized, including some in the Lakeside neighborhood. Lead poisoning can pose a particular health risk for children, potentially affecting development, learning and behavior.

The bids came in considerably higher than the city’s engineering estimates. The low bids, which city staff propose to accept Monday, came from Veit & Co. Inc. and JMF Construction Inc.

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Veit appears poised to receive about $3.88 million for work in Gary, 52% more than the city’s estimate. And JMF stands to receive about $3.68 million for work in Lincoln Park, exceeding the engineer’s estimate by 75%.

Scott said the estimates were prepared before the city had much experience with lead service line replacement and were based on available cost information.

In an emailed explanation, he wrote: “What the city has heard is that conditions in Duluth are unique (topography, soils) and are presently driving the higher costs relative to budget.”

To drive down future prices, Scott said the city is looking to potentially bundle more work into the bids, hoping to benefit from greater economies of scale and to draw more interest and competition. Four companies bid on each of the two projects slated to occur this year.

Scott said state and federal funding sources should suffice to cover the cost of this year’s lead line replacement efforts in Duluth without impacting local property taxes or water rates.

As for next steps, Scott said the city is already putting together plans for more 2025 work in its Lincoln Park and Hillside neighborhoods.

Duluth has not yet determined where to focus its efforts in 2026 but is already exploring opportunities for additional state and federal assistance, Scott said.

“Future projects will be prioritized on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the presence of lead services; areas with elevated blood lead levels; areas with children under the age of five; lead water services supplying schools, licensed child care facilities or other properties known to be used by disproportionately large numbers of children; and areas of lower-income residents and other disadvantaged communities,” Scott said in an email.

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Duluth continues to complete a citywide inventory of lead service lines, but early indications show around 10,000 lines need replacement, he said. To put that in perspective, the two projects proposed this year are expected to replace just shy of 400 lead water service lines — roughly 4% of the anticipated citywide total.

For more information on lead service lines and what the public can do to prevent exposure, residents are encouraged to visit duluthmn.gov/public-works-utilities/lead-water-education/lead-water.

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