WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg says there is a renewed effort at the local, state, and federal levels of government to retire lead service lines nationwide.
“We are going to keep having those conversations. I feel like we are getting reception in Madison, and now in DC,” said Rosenberg. “That’s the goal, we want to keep advocating for our city’s water solutions.”
During Friday’s discussion, Rosenberg called Wausau’s lead pipe issue an $80 million problem, adding it could cost up to $10,000 to replace all of the remaining lead pipes. That includes the replacement of the pipe going into the house and the meter as well. While the city has mapped out the remaining lead pipes, one very important question remains unanswered. How much will that cost homeowners, and how soon before they are required to remove them?
Rosenberg says the answer to both is unknown at this time, but she does expect discussions on the issue to heat up later this year. “We are hoping we have more conversations on this very shortly. Maybe we will be talking more about it this year [2023]. We have already applied for a lot of programming through the DNR [including] the revolving loan program, the emerging contaminates, all of it.”
All of those funds will hopefully make the transition manageable for homeowners, especially those who aren’t prepared to take on such a large expense. “That’s the goal, that’s my goal. I want to make sure we can help people as much as we can. I would love it if we could just go in, get it all done, and nobody has to worry about all that, except for the rates they already pay. Those conversations still need to happen.”
RELATED: Wausau, Milwaukee Mayors Participate in Lead Pipe Removal Discussion at White House
Rosenberg was part of a panel on Friday that included Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Both Wausau and Milwaukee are included in the Biden Administration’s Get the Lead Out Partnership along with Kenosha, Madison, and Edgerton. The state of Wisconsin is also participating along with about 125 other communities.
