DUBUQUE, Iowa (KWWL) -- Dubuque is looking at over $40,000,000 in projects that would help improve the city's water quality. City officials say while the cost is high, the time for these projects is right.
In the city's 2024 fiscal year budget, officials included an over $32 million loan they'll be taking from federal funds to replace over 3,000 lead-lined pipes in service. The loan comes from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund the EPA set up to help communities with projects like this.
However according to Chris Lester, Manager of Dubuque's Water Department, if Dubuque uses the funds as intended, they won’t be on the hook for 90% of the total loan.
Currently, he says there are no concerns about lead poisoning thanks to their treatment plans but the city is happy to jump at a more final solution.
“We have not had any concerns," Lester explained. "Why we’re striving to push replacement of these is because replacement is the long term solution for lead service lines.”
Dubuque is still in the application process for this money, however they're one of the first communities in Iowa to do so, so they expect to be approved in the next few months.
However the funds will not cover all of Dubuque's lead lined pipes. Lester estimates over 2,000 pipes with lead will remain in service even after all the replacements are done. However this isn't the city's only project looking to improve water quality.
When tests found that the PFAS or forever chemicals in Dubuque's water were above allowed levels back in the fall, it wasn’t because something changed in the city's water. EPA regulators had just lowered the level of chemicals allowed. However despite tests now showing Dubuque's water meeting regulations, officials say they don’t want to stop there.
“We’re certainly not going to hang our hat on that and say that we’re done," Lester said. "We’re going to aggressively pursue treatment and source water issues, or solutions, that will guarantee we’re below that mcl going forward.”
As an immediate measure the city has been mixing their deep and shallow well waters which has diluted the forever chemicals under regulation levels.
However Lester says they plan to dig another deep well and install a carbon filtration system. The well will cost around 4.5 million in total and the filtration system will cost around 9.6 million.
He says the projects still have some time before they’ll be able to break ground.
“The diligence we have to do with the DNR, getting permits, looking at site plans and what not before we can just advance a sizeable well like we’re discussing,” Lester shared.
The city is working with Strand Incorporated to create the plans for these projects. Officials plan to hear more on the finalized versions of these projects in late April or early May.
