Lincoln about to begin 10-year lead pipe replacement project. Are you eligible?
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The City of Lincoln is spreading the word and preparing homeowners for a massive lead pipe replacement project.
This summer, the Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department is embarking on a project to replace at least 6,000 lead service lines by 2035 free of charge to the homeowner.
To be clear there is no lead in Lincoln’s water, but at some homes, water is flowing through old pipes that could harm your health.
SEE ALSO: Got lead pipes? Here’s how they’ll be replaced in Lincoln
The project will tackle three areas at first:
- 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 assistant director of utilities, said those three sections are “just the beginning.”
“We will go through the whole part of the city of Lincoln, any house that is eligible that has lead service lines, we will be in contact.”
The service line is the pipe that goes from the main pipeline to your house.
Channel 8 talked with a few residents in the area, who said they were excited about the project.
Many of them said although it’s been in the works for months, they only recently heard about it and don’t know much.
Steve Spratlen owns a few properties in the North Bottoms neighborhood, which is the first part of the first phase.
He said he was happy to get a notice in the mail about the project, as a few of his properties have lead pipes.
SEE ALSO: Lincoln City Council approves $32.6 million loan to replace lead pipes
On Thursday, LTU hosted an open house to get the message out.
Attendees got the chance to raise concerns, ask questions and find out if their property falls within the project boundaries.
Garden said the first sign you might be eligible is the age of your home. Homes built before 1950 are where lead is prevalent.
“But what we’re looking for is really the prevalence, the amount of lead in a neighborhood and the blood lead levels in children,” she said. “That makes a difference for us. That’s very important to us, because it’s important for the health of our children.”
The city has mailed notifications to people who might have lead pipes.
But LTU emphasized that if you are interested in participating, you need to contact them.
“They can sign up with just letting us know, coming out of the office,” Garden said.
Anyone with questions about the program can call 402-441-7551 or visit LTU’s website.
