In a proposal by the Madison Water Utility, Madison city property owners, and Isthmus property owners in particular, would be required to replace the lead water pipes from their property line to their building to bring the city into compliance with national water standards. It is estimated the cost of having a plumber replace the pipes will be around $2,000.

In a phone conversation with Ms. Marilyn Dukes-Winters of the Madison Water Utility, it was reported that the focus of the proposed ordinance is the Madison Isthmus because this area, which includes the Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood, comprises the majority of lead service pipes that are still in place.

Ms. Dukes-Winters said that in the past the city had not required that property owners replace their service lines when the streets were resurfaced and the city replaced its service lines from the water main to the curb box, but that's about to change.

The Water Utility plans to conduct a survey of property owners to determine those properties that still have lead pipes. Property owners will be required to sign an affidavit attesting to the type of water pipes they have. Failure to comply with the survey will result in fines of $50 to $500 a day.

If you scratch the paint and corrosion off your pipes and it looks like a penny, you have copper. If it’s lead, it will be shiny like pewter.

Schools, day care centers and those places that serve water to more than 20 people a day would be required to replace their lead pipes within three years. Others would have four to ten years to change their pipes. And, under the proposal, if you sell your property after April 15, 2000, you would have to replace the lead pipes at that time. Rebates and low-income assistance will be available to those property owners that qualify.

In an effort to publicize the proposed ordinance and facilitate compliance, Dukes-Winters stated that the Water Utility proposes meeting with residents and associations of the affected neighborhoods. This newsletter will keep you informed of the meeting dates for the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood.

-David Mandehr

Return to September/October Table of Contents: http://danenet.wicip.org/tlna/web-data/news/news09/091999.html