New London ready to replace more than 3,000 residential water lines
Sep. 6—NEW LONDON — The city is poised to begin a multi-million project to eventually replace more than 3,000 lead-lined residential drinking water lines with copper versions.
The nearly $32 million project, anticipated to be paid with a combination of state subsidies and low-interest loans, represents a "monumental" step toward providing residents with better quality water, Barry Weiner, Water & Water Pollution Control Authority chairman, told the City Council on Tuesday.
"This isn't something we started thinking about just yesterday," Weiner said. "We'd be the first in Connecticut and probably one of the first in New England and the country to do this."
Residents will not be charged for the work.
In New London, the service lines that run from water mains consist of sections owned by a customer and the city. The mains, not made of lead, ferry drinking water to service lines — many of which do contain lead — and into a dwelling where they feed sinks, shower heads and toilets.
The city service line portions end at a resident's property line, typically identified by a curb stop. Director of Public Utilities Joseph Lanzafame said lead that leaches out through drinking water pipes and is ingested can cause developmental issues for those who drink it, especially youngsters.
The three-phase project is anticipated to cost $31.6 million for the replacement of 3,279 lines, though that number could change. Lanzafame said the number of replacements needed is based on an examination of 150 resident basements that was then extrapolated with statistical models.
Weiner said 75%, or nearly $24 million, of the overall project cost will be covered by state and federal grant money with the remaining $7.9 million paid for with a 2%, 20-year loan guaranteed by the state.
"And there's a chance for loan forgiveness, something we'll be pursuing," Weiner said.
Bids open on Sept. 27 for the project's $11.3 million first phase which will replace 1,175 lines in the northern and downtown areas of the city. The state subsidy will cover $8.5 million of the cost with the city responsible for $2.8 million.
A program timeline for the initial phase calls for the council on Oct. 16 to approve a bond appropriation resolution for the first phase of work and construction to begin either in late fall or in early spring 2024.
Phase II and III would concentrate on 2,100 residences in the city's western and southern sections, though no schedule for that work has been set.
Lanzafame acknowledged the street-by-street work will be disruptive to residents at times, with water shut off for several hours as the digging, construction, flushing and restoration work proceeds.
The city is currently engaging in several project outreach efforts, including mailing project participation postcards to residents and leaving information packets at residences. A project open house will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the city's senior center to give attendees an overview of the project.
"This is a proactive project and not a reaction to any requirements," Lanzafame said. "When you're forced to do this kind of work, its usually too late, in my opinion."
