LINCOLN, Nebraska (KLKN) – The City of Lincoln is spreading the word and preparing homeowners for a major lead pipe replacement project.
This summer, the Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department is launching a project to replace at least 6,000 lead service lines at no cost to homeowners by 2035.
To be clear, Lincoln water does not contain lead, but some homes have water running through old pipes that can be harmful to health.
SEE ALSO: Do you have lead pipes? Here's how to replace them in Lincoln
The project will initially address three areas:
- The North Bottoms neighborhood
- The area between Q and Randolph Streets and 17th and 27th Streets
- The area between A and K Streets and 13th and 17th Streets
Lead pipe project
Courtesy: LTU
Donna Garden, LTU's deputy director of supplies, said these three phases are “just the beginning.”
“We will go through the entire Lincoln district and contact every home that has lead pipes and is a candidate.”
The service line is the pipe that runs from the main line to your house.
Channel 8 spoke to some residents in the area who said they were excited about the project.
Many of them said that although it has been in the works for months, they had only recently heard about it and did not know much.
Steve Spratlen owns some properties in the North Bottoms neighborhood, which is the first part of the first phase.
He said he was pleased to receive notification of the project by mail because some of his properties had lead pipes.
SEE ALSO: Lincoln City Council approves $32.6 million loan to replace lead pipes
On Thursday, LTU held an open day to spread the message.
Participants had the opportunity to raise concerns, ask questions and find out if their property was within the project boundaries.
According to Garden, the age of your home is the first indication of whether you qualify. Lead is most common in homes built before 1950.
“But what we're really looking at is the prevalence, the amount of lead in a neighborhood and the level of lead in children's blood,” she said. “That makes a difference to us. That's very important to us because it's important to the health of our children.”
The city has sent notices by mail to people who may have lead pipes.
However, LTU emphasizes that you must contact them if you are interested in participating.
“They can sign up by just letting us know when they get out of the office,” Garden said.
If you have questions about the program, you can call 402-441-7551 or visit the LTU website.
Deputy Director of Supply Donna Garden, Capital city, City of Lincoln, Donna Garden, Health, Health News, Lead, Lead paint, Lead pipe replacement, Lead pipes, Lincoln – The wonderful world of flying, Lincoln officials, Lincoln Department of Transportation and Supply, LTU, Major Leirion Gaylor Baird, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, North Bottoms Neighborhood, Pipe replacement, Project, Replacement program, Security news, US Environmental Protection Agency, Water pipes
Comments are closed.