OSWEGO – The passage of three resolutions aimed at removing lead piping leading into residential homes throughout the City of Oswego, was a main component passed during last night’s Common Council meeting, Monday August 22.
During last week’s August 15 committee meeting, City Engineer Jeff Hinderliter discussed the measure of replacing old, lead water pipes that extended from city water lines directly into residential homes.
According to Hinderliter, the New York State Department of Health collects blood data samples every year from children across Oswego County as well as the state to monitor lead levels in young people.
Due to an increasing trend of rising lead levels found in children across the country, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York State are implementing measures to target, remove and replace lead pipes across the nation.
According to Hinderliter, in December of 2021, the EPA issued major regulatory revisions to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for lead and copper known as the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR); awarding localities grant money to replace water service lines found contaminated with lead piping.
“So New York State created the Lead Service Line Replacement Program that’s intended to fund residential homes to have their service lines replaced from the water main right into the house at no cost to the homeowner,” Hinderliter said. “The City of Oswego, because of our population level of our young people and the amount of lead that was found, qualified us for the program, and we were awarded a grant of over $500,000.00 dollars.”
To further assist with the program and expedite the necessary bid documents necessary for the Lead Service Line Replacement Project, the city is hiring outside consulting firm GHD Consulting Services, Inc. to help. Cost of services will be $38,500.
The grant amount of $534,907.00 will cover anywhere from 100-150 services. Hinderliter said there are over 8,000 services within Oswego; the city using census data to address low income areas with the highest concentration of lead levels.
Hinderliter said his office will continue to provide updates on the specifics of the program and the properties identified as the plan develops; also saying their office would like to begin this fall with the project slated for completion in June of 2023.
Another item passed during last night’s meeting was Mayor Billy Barlow’s City of Oswego 2023 Operational Budget, proposed during the August 8 Common Council meeting. The Council made a few minor revisions to Barlow’s budget during a workshop held last Tuesday, August 16.
Barlow spoke about the budget and the city’s progress over the past six years, mentioning lowered taxes, reduced water and sewer rates, and the ongoing repairs to infrastructure and maintenance throughout the city.
“It all starts with the city budget; how we prioritize our very limited resources and what we decide to spend money on [and] what we try to save on cost – and it’s really the guiding document that guides city government day by day through the year, to allow us to deliver services to the people at the quality they expect,” Barlow said. “So, I’d like to thank everybody. I’m very proud of this budget and [I’m] looking forward to what the next year will bring using this budget as our guiding document.”
All resolutions were unanimously passed. All Common Council meetings are held the second and third Monday of every month, the next meeting to be held on Monday, September 12 at 7:15 p.m.
To view the full agenda, please click here. To get more information on the lead pipe issue and hear relevant information from last week’s committee meeting video, please click here.
missing or outdated ad config