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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Jason Bauer, P.E., Assistant Director of Public Works/Assistant City Engineer
DATE: August 13, 2021
SUBJECT:
Establishment of a revised Private Service Line Replacement Program.
PURPOSE:
To modify the existing Private Service Line Replacement Program previously established in August, 2018.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Aurora has long-prided itself on providing clean, safe, and good-tasting water to the community. The City replaced the last remaining lead pipes in the water distribution system many years ago and there is no detectable level of lead in the finished water pumped from the water treatment plant.
While there is no detectable level of lead in the water leaving the plant, the presence of privately-owned lead service lines connected to the distribution system can often introduce lead to the water coming out of the end user's plumbing fixtures. All water utilities in the country are required to sample the water at this location every three years to test for compliance on a number of items, including lead.
Even though the City lead sampling is in compliance with the federally regulated lead sampling, the state will still soon require the replacement of any remaining privately-owned lead service lines. While the use of lead is not allowed by the City and was banned federally in 1986, there are still approximately 20,000 lead services lines located throughout the City that had been installed prior to 1986.
Under the new state legislation, they City will be required to replace the remaining 20,000 services over a thirty-year period beginning in 2027. Over the course of the next five years, the City will begin conducting a thorough inventory to determine the location of all these services and develop the final replacement program.
While the City works on inventory and final program, there will still be ongoing work that impacts lead service lines. One other aspect of the new legislation is prohibiting partial l...
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