The city of New London, Conn., is preparing to begin a $36 million effort to replace lead service water pipes with new copper lines for about 3,300 residences.
"This is a proactive measure the city's taking," Joe Lanzafame, New London's public utilities director, told CT Examiner Sept. 8. "We don't have any lead violations or issues with our drinking water, or any consent orders or requirements by the state or the federal government to remove these lines. We're doing this proactively with the understanding that at some point in time, everyone's going to be required to remove all of these lines anyway, so we wanted to get ahead of it."
While a number of municipalities are planning to replace their lead service pipes, New London appears to be the first in Connecticut to reach the construction phase, according to a state project priority list.
CT Examiner reported that the three-phase project will be funded through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, from which the city will receive three installments of approximately $5 million; and Connecticut's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program, administered by the Department of Public Health, with a subsidy of up to 30 percent of the project. The remaining funds — about $9 million — will be paid using monies from the city's surcharge fund and a 20-year low-interest loan.
Lanzafame said New London will bond for the full amount — fully covered by federal, state, and surcharge funding — but in amounts separated into three areas of the city that were based on median household income and the census tract.
The city started an inventory of its lead service pipes about five years ago, according to Lanzafame, and has identified about 3,300 properties out of the 6,000 that have public water service.
New London is well ahead of the state Department of Health's October 2024 deadline for municipalities to complete such an inventory, he said. The state program is based on a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative.
"The inventory is not due until October of 2024, so no one is late, we're just early," he added.
New London to Use ‘Pulling Pit' Method in Replacing Pipe
Lanzafame explained that the preferred and most cost-effective method of pipe replacement is known as "pulling pit," in which the existing pipe is replaced simultaneously with the new copper pipe, which minimizes the service loss time.
"The goal is to have the least amount of disturbance on the line because the lead line is better left undisturbed than it is replaced in part. You're less likely to have lead release on a line if you replace the whole thing," he said.
The New London utilities director said the average cost to replace a residential water service line can range from $5,000 to more than $15,000.
"Having an identified lead service line could pose a challenge when selling a home," said Lanzafame. "But what I really want to stress is that this is a major home improvement for the property owner at no direct cost to them, and a major infrastructure project that can bring the entire city in compliance with EPA regulations."
City residents will be asked to sign a waiver to allow crews to perform the work, but they do have the right to refuse the pipe replacement, according to a news release from the city of New London. The work at each property is expected to last less than one day and property owners will be provided with bottled water while the replacement is under way.
Lanzafame told CT Examiner that the project has been put out to bid with a deadline of Sept. 27, and if the New London City Council approves the bond, work could begin mid-November.
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