Milwaukee to receive $30 million for lead service line replacement as part of statewide clean water push - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Milwaukee to receive $30 million for lead service line replacement

Milwaukee to receive $30 million for lead service line replacement as part of statewide clean water push
Laura Schulte

MADISON - Over the next year, Milwaukee along with other cities across Wisconsin will receive millions of dollars to help improve their drinking water infrastructure and water quality.

Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Natural Resources announced that $402 million of financial assistance will be delivered to 106 municipalities over the next year.

Some cities will receive funding to help replace lead service lines, which have the potential to leach harmful lead into drinking water. Others will install filtration systems to remove "forever chemicals," or PFAS from the water flowing to residents.

Evers said the funding would “help accelerate our progress on lead service line replacement and addressing PFAS and other contaminants in drinking water systems in communities across the state.”

What funding is Milwaukee getting, and what will it do?

Milwaukee is set to receive $30 million for the replacement of lead service lines, of which about $17.1 million will be in the form of principal forgiveness, which means at least a portion of the loan will be forgiven. The rest will have a 0.25% interest rate.

Where does Milwaukee stand with its lead issue?

The city has replaced about 6,300 lead service lines since it started systematically replacing them in 2017, according to Milwaukee Water Works. The city has upward of 70,000 lead lines.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the funding would help the city speed the rate of replacement.

Johnson said the funding would allow the city to "move forward with an ambitious plan to nearly double the pace of lead service line replacements and eliminate the cost to homeowners," he said in an email statement. "Our expanded program prioritizes areas of Milwaukee that are historically underserved and have the greatest need.”

Johnson earlier this year announced a plan to replace the city’s lead water pipes in two decades instead of the original six decades that had been projected, citing an expected influx in federal funding.

More: Milwaukee disinfects its water to ensure safety for residents. Here's what you should know

How much funding is Wausau getting?

Wausau, which has found elevated levels of PFAS in all of the city's municipal water wells, is receiving more than $17 million in Emerging Contaminant funding.

Of that amount, over $5 million will be principal forgiveness, and the remaining $12.3 million will have a subsidized interest rate.

The city is also receiving about $5.8 million for lead service line replacements, of which about $3.6 million will be principal forgiveness. The rest will have a 0.25% interest rate.

Where does Wausau stand with its PFAS contamination?

Wausau is in the process of adding a granulated activated carbon filtration system to its water treatment plant, which is estimated to cost more than $17 million. This comes nearly two years after elevated levels of PFAS were found in all of Wausau's drinking water wells, forcing the city to provide bottled water or filtration pitchers to those worried about their consumption of PFAS.

The funding will allow the city to save money by replacing its current filtration system, which wasn't removing all of the types of PFAS found to be in the water.

"We actually accelerated our PFAS project, so that instead of it being done by the end of next year, it will be done by the middle of next year," said Mayor Katie Rosenberg. "We're really excited. And obviously this this money is critical to our process here."

What other cities are receiving funding?

The village of Reedsville will receive more than $3 million in funding to address nitrates, along with updates to other aging equipment, according to the press release.

Madison will also receive about $3 million in funding to address PFAS contamination in one of its wells.

Where is the money coming from?

The funding comes from a combination of of DNR's State Drinking Water Loan program, the Supplemental Drinking Water Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, the Emerging Contaminant Drinking Water Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, and the Lead Service Line Replacement Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding..

When will cities receive it?

The money will be given to municipalities over the next year and will be disbursed as costs are incurred.

What about those with private wells?

The funding from the state's drinking water loan program is meant to help public water systems across the state but doesn't provide funding to those with private wells, which is about one-third of Wisconsinites.

Those with private wells can access the well compensation program to address nitrate, bacteria or PFAS contamination.

Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura.