Superior Residents Eligible for Free Lead Pipe Replacements

SUPERIOR, Wis (WLAK / WHSM) – Superior residents will be eligible for free lead pipe replacements under a new bill allowing their private utility to access federal funds.

The legislation allows Superior Water, Light and Power to access federal funding through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program. As the only privately owned community water system in the state, it had previously been excluded from some forms of financial assistance.

The bill passed in the state legislature last week and was signed into law by Governor Tony Evers on Monday. Superior Mayor Jim Paine initially raised some concerns about the legislation, saying he would prefer the city be responsible for where the money goes. He worried that residents could still be on the hook for some of the costs for the lead service line replacements.

According to a WDIO report, Mayor Paine and the utility company reached an agreement on how to use the newly accessible funding on Monday night. The agreement gives the city the power to administer the replacement projects and requires the utility company to obtain the federal funding for reimbursement. The city will also cover any additional costs beyond what the utility company can obtain through the Safe Water Drinking Loan Program.

Superior Water, Light and Power officials say they’ve already identified around 800 residential service lines that need to be replaced. Any resident with a lead service line on their property should notify the city to have it replaced at no cost. Mayor Paine says the city plans to replace about half of the lead service lines this year.

Lead in the water supply is linked to a variety of health issues, including brain damage in children that can lead to significant behavioral, learning, and speech problems.