Owners of property with lead and galvanized water service lines will be required to remove the pipes under an ordinance passed by the Mineral Point City Council Tuesday night.
The ordinance says replacement of lead and galvanized water service lines on private property is necessary to meet federal and state standards.
About 70 private lead service lines and 30 private galvanized lines, or about 7.5 percent of total private lines, are served by the city utility.
Lateral lines on private property must be removed at the homeowner’s expense. Property owners will have a year to replace lead or galvanized water service lines after notification from the city.
Passage of the ordinance could help the city qualify for grants to help defray the costs.
“When I hear back from the federal government, we’re hoping to put together a package for revenue,” said City Administrator Matt Honer. “The goal is to get all these replaced quickly.”
Two of 10 sites in the city of Mineral Point had elevated levels of lead in drinking water in 2023.
There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. Even small amounts of lead can accumulate over time. The only way to remove lead from water is to replace the lateral service lines.
In other action, the council:
. Hired Collin Palzkill and David Arthur as workers in the streets department.
· Approved adding a streetlight on the west side of the 500 block of Dodge Street. “It’s a very dark area and we had a fatality there earlier this year,” said Mayor Danny Clark.