https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • Magazine
    • Back
    • Digital Editions
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • Subscribe to GovPro
    • Manage GovPro Subscription
    • Advertise
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
acc.com

Public Works & Utilities


Article

Aging municipal water piping prompts replacement

Aging municipal water piping prompts replacement

As water conduits continue to age, cities are undergoing the arduous and expensive task of replacing it.
  • Written by Jason Axelrod
  • 28th November 2017

As water conduits continue to age, cities are undergoing the arduous and expensive task of replacing it.

In Pocomoke City, Md., the replacements are meant to improve drinking water quality, Delmarva Peninsula TV station WBOC reports. Faucets spewing brown water and leaving stains in sinks are not uncommon in the city, whose pipes are up to 80 years old.

"This has gotten to the point where this is unacceptable to our residents and we're charging to supply water to them," Pocomoke City Manager Robert Cowger told WBOC. "Between replacing these pipes and the new pipes I feel 99 percent the problem is resolved.” 

The replacement project, a top priority for the city, will cost about $1 million, according to WBOC.  

In Duluth, Minn., leaky water pipes are a problem for the city’s aging water piping infrastructure, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. But funding those repairs is a challenge, too.

While the city used grants and loans to fund a large wastewater system upgrade several years ago, the Duluth Public Utilities Commission recently decided to increase water volume rates 4.7 percent each year for six years, according to the Star Tribune. That increase will allow it to replace about 4.3 miles of piping — about 1 percent of its system — per year.

“Cities are getting to the point where, really, it’s costing them a lot of money to deal with it in a piecemeal fashion, and they’re sort of facing up to and taking on these larger projects,” Jeff Freeman, executive director of the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, told the Star Tribune.

Some state initiatives, like New York’s $2.5 Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017, are helping their municipalities replace water infrastructure through dedicated grants, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal and a New York State news release.  

A component of the act, the New York State Department of Health’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program, awarded $20 million to 25 municipalities in November, according to a New York State news release. 

Poughkeepsie, N.Y., is receiving $544,745 to replace its lead service lines, the Journal reports. Mayor Rob Rolison is convening a team of city, county and state officials to create a plan for the replacement. "We are going to work with our partners on this and see what we may be able to address in the short term and the long term,” Rolison told the Journal.

“The topic of lead and lead pipes has been certainly something people had been talking about, and we certainly were appreciative of the state making the city eligible,” Rolison told the Journal.

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on YouTube

Tags: News Public Works & Utilities Article

Related


  • Biden’s relief plan includes $350 billion for local and state government
    President-Elect Joe Biden announced a $1.9 trillion relief plan Thursday to combat the COVID-19 crisis and the economic downturn it has caused. In addition to $400 million to combat the pandemic specifically, the proposal includes $350 billion for state, local and tribal governments that would help them to bridge budget shortfalls, help public works maintain […]
  • Public safety needs a better way to triage emergency calls
    The overarching goal of the public-safety community is to ensure that 911 callers receive the most appropriate emergency response as quickly as possible. Lives often are on the line in an emergency, and every second matters. Achieving a balance between sending the optimal response to an emergency and having it arrive as fast as possible […]
  • How the City of Fullerton navigated adding candidates to ballots remotely
    This time last year, we were all looking forward to 2020: the start of a new decade and big elections (federally and locally) were just a few of the things we were excited about as we closed out the year. Little did we know, the beginning of the end of “normal” would happen two month […]
  • Biden cabinet picks poised to bring municipal experience to national level
    If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, President Joe Biden’s picks for Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Transportation — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, respectively — will bring municipal leadership-borne experience to the president’s cabinet. Both Walsh and Buttigieg had accomplishments while serving in their mayoral positions that […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Buttigieg to bring local perspective to Cabinet position
  • Cleveland launches program to create circular rconomy
  • FirstNet Authority releases new details about impact of Nashville explosion on broadband system
  • Embracing digital within local government in 2021

White papers


How a unified HR system helps one public safety organization manage crews, payroll, and more in a single platform

7th January 2021

Your Roadmap to COVID-19 Funding

18th December 2020

The One Where Everyone Wins: A Mutually Beneficial Contracting Method

10th December 2020
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

The latest episode The Young Leaders Podcast focuses on Cyril Jefferson. Cyril is the youngest African American to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

27th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

Hillsboro, Oregon is pioneering a new #renewableenergy generation technology through a partnership with… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

27th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

The impact of the #COVID19 pandemic on #telework was swift and profound. Now, the big question is whether – and to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

Get ready for the can't-miss webinar on how to kickstart your efficiency improvement plan with Luke Anderson of… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

Among all states headed into the 2020 general election, which ones have voting populations that are the most demogr… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

26th October 2020
AmerCityCounty

We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in our readership survey to help us shape future content so that we c… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

23rd October 2020
AmerCityCounty

See how cities different approaches to distribute masks in their communities >> spr.ly/6010GAPLa

23rd October 2020
AmerCityCounty

While #facialrecognition is a powerful tool that can improve law enforcement efficiency, that doesn’t necessarily t… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

23rd October 2020

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X