What is a water service line? A water service line is the pipe that connects a home to the water main. Homeowner
Why should I be concerned about lead in my water service line? Lead service lines can leak lead into your drinking water, posing serious health risks, especially for children and pregnant women. Even low levels of lead exposure can harm your health over time. Lead exposure from drinking water can lead to developmental delays, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems in children. In adults, it can cause high blood pressure, kidney problems, and reproductive issues. Visit these expert sites to learn more:
How can lead get into my drinking water? When water leaves the City’s water treatment plant, it is lead free. The water mains in the street transporting water from the treatment plant are made of lead-free materials and do not add lead to the drinking water.
Why does the water service line at my location contain lead? Lead was commonly used for water service lines until the 1950s, and also commonly used in household plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, shower heads, hose bibs, etc.) and solder into the late 1980s, when it was banned. From 1986 to 2014, plumbing fixtures could contain up to 8% lead to be categorized as “Lead free.” However, current standards for “lead-free” fixtures allow no more than 0.25% of lead content.
If I have a lead service line, how can I reduce my exposure to lead? There are several steps you can take to reduce your exposure to lead:
Always buy plumbing fixtures (faucets, valves, sinks, shower heads, hose bibs, etc.) that have zero-lead or low-lead content.
Read the labels of any new plumbing fixtures closely.Always use fresh, cold, running water for drinking, cooking and preparing baby formula.
Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water does not remove lead and can increase lead concentration.
Regularly remove and clean faucet screens and aerators.
Obtain an NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) Certified home water treatment device to remove lead.
Identify and replace plumbing fixtures containing lead and any copper piping with lead solder.
Enroll in the EquFlow Lead-Free Program to have your lead service lines replaced.
Which areas of Wausau will receive lead service line replacements first? In Year 1, the EquiFlow Lead-Free Program will replace a minimum of 533 residential (private) lead service lines in the Hollows and around Eau Clare Blvd., north of the airport. The public side of these lead service lines have already been replaced in these areas.
How is the City prioritizing neighborhoods and properties that need inspections and lead service line replacements? The City has prioritized the schedule for areas where City records show a greater density of lead and lead-contaminated galvanized steel service lines in combination with social vulnerability data.
Are lead service lines being replaced at businesses, schools, medical facilities, and government buildings? Yes. The City of Wausau, through the EquiFlow Lead-Free Program, will replace ALL of the remaining 8,000 lead service lines still in use city-wide.
Once I sign up for an inspection, how long do I have to wait for the inspection to take place? Through the EquiFlow Lead-Free Program website, you can choose what day and time works best for your schedule based on the availability provided. To sign up for a brief 10-minute inspection, visit https://www.leadfreewausau.com/ and click
Do I need to be home for the inspection and replacement? Yes. Inspectors and Specialists from the EquiFlow Lead-Free Program will need access to your home in order to inspect or replace the lead line. Inspection takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Replacing the line can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, including time spent outside and inside your home.
How is the lead inspection conducted? EquiFlow Lead-Free Program Specialist(s) conducting the 15-minute lead water line pipe inspection will arrive at your home at the scheduled time or might come by while canvassing the neighborhood. They will arrive wearing an EquiFlow Lead-Free Program service vest and badge and ring your doorbell.
Are the people coming to my home safe? How have they been vetted? The EquiFlow Program Community Outreach team is comprised of employees from the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service (WIPPS), H2N, Hmong Community Center, and DAAR Engineering who all go through standard employment background checks and were established professionals with strong performance track records prior to joining the EquiFlow team. The outreach specialists include trusted, experienced professionals such as a retired Wausau police officer who served more than 25 years on the Wausau police force and local RNs and community health workers who have supported community health initiatives with the University of Wisconsin-Central Wisconsin.
How can I be sure the people who come to my residence are legitimate and really part of the EquiFlow Lead-Free Program? EquiFlow Program team members will always be wearing their EquiFlow vests and have an associated name badge. If you scheduled an appointment, they will arrive at their scheduled day and time.
If the inspection shows that a lead service line serves my location, how long will I have to wait for the service line to be replaced? What will I need to do to prepare my property for the Most eligible lines found will be replaced in the subsequent construction season. You will be informed of a general time frame for replacement at the time of your inspection, and a representative will contact you with a more specific window within a month of the replacement. The City of Wausau’s EquiFlow Lead-Free Program is an accelerated program that will replace the 8,000 lead service lines still in use City-wide over the next five years.To prepare for inspection and lead service line replacement, homeowners should clear areas near the meter and pipes coming to the house. For safety reasons, children should be kept away from active work areas on the day of replacement.
Will I be asked to sign or pay for anything? If so, what can I expect? Lead pipe inspection and replacement through the EquiFlow Lead-Free Program is free of charge. If your line is eligible for replacement, the EquiFlow contractors and program partners will never ask for payment of any kind. Residents will be asked to sign a “Right of Entry” form to allow EquiFlow Program team members to enter your home to replace the line.
What is the Right of Entry (ROE) form? What is its Purpose? Gaining legal access to private property is an important aspect of the EquiFlow Program. Multiple facets of this Program require access to your property. The ROE is used to grant access to the EquiFlow team to make repairs on your property. The ROE is completely voluntary. Your land is private, so it is your decision to waive the right to grant access. However, the ROE is a requirement for the replacement to proceed. Failure to agree and sign an ROE may jeopardize the implementation of the replacement, which will benefit you and your community.
How long will crews be on my property to replace the line? Hours? Days? How long will it take to replace the line at my location? The EquiFlow Lead-Free Program line replacement services take place Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The average replacement time for a lead service line is 4 to 8 hours, including time spent outside and inside your home. However, there may be times when the contractor will need access to the property before the replacement occurs. In some cases, a contractor may find unexpected challenges around the pipes. This may extend the replacement effort to more than one day.
What type of maintenance is required of the new line? No maintenance is required.
How is the EquiFlow Lead-Free Program funded? The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, is a major piece of legislation passed in the United States. The legislation addresses and improves various aspects of the country's infrastructure, including transportation, broadband, energy, and water. The BIL is notable for its bipartisan support, as it received approval from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress. It represents a significant effort to address longstanding infrastructure challenges and create jobs while supporting the transition to a more sustainable and resilient infrastructure system in the United States.
What is the CBP3 delivery model being used by the EquiFlow Lead-Free Program? A Community-Based Public-Private Partnership (CBP3) is a collaborative arrangement between the public sector, private sector, and local communities to plan, finance, implement, and operate projects that serve the community's needs. In the context of infrastructure development, CBP3s are often formed to address challenges related to funding, resource allocation, and expertise. Key characteristics of a CBP3 may include:
Inclusive Community Involvement: CBP3s emphasize the active participation of local communities in the decision-making process. This involvement ensures that the infrastructure projects align with the needs and priorities of the community.
Public and Private Collaboration: These partnerships bring together both public and private entities to contribute their resources, expertise, and capital to address infrastructure challenges. Public entities may include local or state governments, while private entities may involve businesses or non-profit organizations.
Risk Transference: CBP3s typically transfer the delivery risk from the public sector to the private sector through a performance-based contract. The performance guarantees are typically structured around the financial, technical, and socioeconomic goals of the specific community.
Why does a CBP3 benefit Wausau? A CBP3 is expected to generate multiple benefits for the City of Wausau and its constituents:
Acceleration of Lead Service Line Replacements. Water utilities across the country have been provided with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take advantage of federal funding through the BIL. The funding is only available over a five-year period, and it's competitive with all other water utilities within the state. Wausau has never been able to replace more than 100 LSLs a year due to funding constraints and limited contractor capacity. While the BIL helps solve the funding challenge, Wausau will need to average 1,600 replacements per year to replace the estimated 8,000 LSLs within the City in five years. In order to do so, the City needs significantly more contractor capacity than is currently available. The CBP3 model addresses this through contractor and workforce
Significant Cost Savings. In 2021, Wausau commissioned a report stating that the estimated cost to replace the ~8,000 lead service lines within the City would be $80 million, excluding inflation. Taking a traditional approach and replacing these lines over 15 years with a modest 3% annual inflation rate, the total cost would be projected to exceed $108 million. Utilizing the CBP3 model and replacing all LSLs within five years significantly reduces the impact of inflation. Current estimates are that all LSLs can be replaced for less than $60 million, with any additional savings being recycled back to the City.
Opportunities for Local Businesses. Maximizing the federal funding available to Wausau means there will be lots of opportunities for local businesses in trades, including plumbing, excavating, landscaping, engineering, outreach, and more over the five-year program. The City has committed that at least 50% of the money will go to Wisconsin- based businesses.
Job Opportunities for Residents. With workforce and contractor development being key components of the CBP3 model, training and career opportunities will be provided in partnership with LiUNA and Wisconsin.
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