A major Lehigh Valley water utility has been awarded almost $5 million to remove lead lines.
Lehigh County Authority said Friday that it was recently awarded a $3,383,892 grant and $1,555,508 in low-interest loans from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, or PENNVEST.
In a release, LCA said the money will be used to fund a pilot project to remove lead service lines in Allentown, and “put protocols in place to support a long-term, robust pipe replacement program.”
According to PENNVEST, the money will go toward replacing 149 private and one public lead and/or galvanized service lines in Allentown, and LCA said the replacement will also include the private-side portion owned by the homeowner.
The authority said it will develop service line verification processes to identify lead service line locations, and plan for future projects. More details on the pilot will be announced in the future.
LCA customers can also help the authority with their lead removal efforts by verifying the water service line material in their home and sharing it through an online survey tool, regardless of what material they find.
Customers with lead pipes, or who cannot determine the pipe material, should take steps to reduce potential lead exposure, which has a number of health impacts particularly for more vulnerable groups like children or individuals with health conditions.
More information, and instructions on testing pipe material, is available on LCA’s website.
Lehigh County Authority said homes built before 1960 have a greater possibility of being serviced by a lead service line.
The use of lead as a material in public water supplies, and in residential or non-residential facility drinking water plumbing, in 1986 by amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The state government invested a total of $116.6 million through PENNVEST in 22 water infrastructure projects across 19 counties in the latest round of funding allocations.
The use of lead as a material in public water supplies, and in residential or non-residential facility drinking water plumbing, was limited in 1986 by amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act.
LCA said the drinking water from its water sources is lead-free, but buildings with lead water pipes or plumbing are at risk of having the material enter the water. The authority provides water and wastewater services to around 200,000 people.
LCA CEO Liesel Gross thanked Gov. Josh Shapiro and State Sen. Nick Miller, D-Lehigh/Northampton in the release for their support on the new program.
We are looking forward to the start of our project to remove some of the lead service lines in the city,” she said. “Grant funding and low-interest loans for a project like this support our efforts to keep customer rates as low as possible.”
(Original air-date: 7/22/23)
