DNR Helping to Get the Lead Out

After a public comment period that ended May 10, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is preparing to implement its plan to make $11.8 million available to municipalities to help remove old lead service lines that bring drinking water into homes.

The Lead Service Line Replacement Funding program is the first of its kind in the region. The DNR program takes advantage of a recent decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that allows greater flexibility in allocating loan funds for water infrastructure projects. Through the state’s Safe Drinking Water Loan Program, DNR now has the ability to provide disadvantaged municipalities with significant funding to help cover the costs of lead service line replacements on private property.

June 30 is the deadline for municipalities to apply for the upcoming state fiscal year’s Safe Drinking Water Loan Program. The department will consider awarding private lead service line program funding for applications submitted beyond the deadline if sufficient funds remain. The funding list for applications received by June 30 should be available by mid-August and those municipalities could have their financial packages finalized and submit costs for reimbursement shortly afterwards.

Disadvantaged municipalities are determined based on factors including population, median household income and unemployment trends. Under this program, disadvantaged municipalities with a population of less than 50,000 will be eligible for up to $300,000 for lead service line replacement costs on private property. For medium-sized communities, that cap will be $500,000, and for the largest municipalities – those with a population greater than 500,000 – the cap will be $1 million.

Under the program, communities determine how to distribute the funds to homeowners, schools and day care centers. If the program proves successful, DNR would seek to provide a similar level of funding for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2017.

To learn more, visit dnr.wi.gov and search “environmental loans.”