Having recently OK’d utility rate hikes to pay for such improvements, the St. Charles City Council is considering a $7.6 million lead service line replacement project bid, while simultaneously urging lawmakers for more time and funding to meet an impending EPA deadline for these projects.
The lead line project bid under consideration was slated to be discussed at the council’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, but, along with other items on Monday’s agenda, has been pushed to a special meeting scheduled for April 27. Following that Committee of the Whole discussion, the bid would still need to secure final approval from the City Council.
The replacement of lead service lines is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and must be completed within 10 years under a rule approved by former President Joe Biden’s administration meant to reduce lead in drinking water. President Donald Trump’s administration recently indicated that it is backing the 10-year deadline, according to the Associated Press.
Lead, a heavy metal once common in products like pipes and paints, is a neurotoxin that can stunt children’s development, lower IQ scores and increase blood pressure in adults, according to the Associated Press. Lead pipes can corrode and contaminate drinking water.
St. Charles is looking to replace lead service line connections that exist for around 3,400 water customers in the city, which is expected to cost about $8.4 million annually and must begin in 2026. The City Council approved a lead line replacement policy in 2024.
The city has said it is not receiving any state or federal funding to comply with the EPA rule, so it must implement the replacements using its own funds.
As a result, the city recently pointed to its need to replace lead service lines in advance of the EPA deadline, as well as make other improvements, as the rationale for a series of utility rate hikes that were approved by the council earlier this month. St. Charles residents can expect to see a roughly 17% increase in their overall utility charges beginning in June, with subsequent increases expected annually through 2029.
Once the lead line replacements are completed, water rates can be decreased, the city has indicated.
The measure slated for discussion on Monday proposes awarding a bid for $7,650,000 to Swallow Construction. Swallow’s bid was one of only two received by the city, and was the only one that was properly submitted and that followed all the bidding requirements, according to a city memo.
The memo from the city indicates that the company has completed other water and sewer projects for the city, and that it has worked with other communities in the area on lead line replacement.
The actual replacement cost for each service line will be different for each home, the city memo stated, as a result of site conditions. The city required that bidders provide the unit cost for most of the items typically encountered when replacing lead service lines, and has set up an allowance for items that cannot be detailed.
Based on the figures provided by Swallow Construction, the typical service line replacement is set to cost between $21,000 and $25,000, the city has said.
More Top Picks Best Pole Dancing Poles For The Money
Meanwhile, the city is also looking to ask legislators to consider extending the timeline for St. Charles to get into compliance with the EPA requirements and to provide additional grant funding or no-interest loan options to help the city with the replacements.
St. Charles Mayor Clint Hull previously said that the city has applied for grants and been told it doesn’t qualify for them, but noted the possibility of continued work on the city’s part to find additional funding.
A proposed letter, to be sent to state and federal legislators, emphasizes the city’s support of removing lead service lines to ensure safe drinking water, but says that the current EPA requirement “places a significant financial burden” on the city.
The City Council is also slated to consider the letter of support at Monday’s special Committee of the Whole meeting.
The Associated Press contributed.