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Home My Public Portal AboutLead Gooseneck Removal - DPWCity of Watertown, MA ARPA Project Proposal Submitted by: Gregory St. Louis Submitted on: May 25, 2023 Request Number: ARPA-17 Project Name: Lead Gooseneck Removal Proposal Type: City Department Department of Public Works Recommended Project Manager: Gregory St. Louis Project Summary: The DPW is actively working to remove all remaining lead piping, in the form of lead service goosenecks, from our community. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has recommended that when replacing a lead gooseneck, the entire service, i.e., the gooseneck and downstream piping within the right of way, be completely removed. The City currently has approximately 500 lead goosenecks, and therefore services lines, that need to be removed from our distribution system. The DPW would like to replace all lead goosenecks and downstream service lines within the next ﬁve years. Amount of ARPA Funds Requested: $600,000 Minimum Funds Needed: $100,000 Matching funds available? Yes MWRA LLP Loan Program 300,000 Highly Likely Other funds available? No Project Narrative: I will use the form to enter narrative Narrative description of the project: Lead can get into tap water through a few diﬀerent mediums. These include lead solder which is typically used in plumbing prior to 1986, some brass ﬁxtures and lead goosenecks. The corrosion, or wearing away of these lead-based materials, can add lead to your tap water, particularly if the water sits for a long time in the pipes before use. A gooseneck is a short ﬂexible piece of pipe that could be used to connect a service line to the public water main or on a private property where a service line changes direction. The DPW is actively working to remove all remaining lead piping, in the form of lead service goosenecks, from our community. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has recommended that when replacing a lead gooseneck, the entire service, i.e., the gooseneck and downstream piping within the right of way, be completely removed. The City currently has approximately 600 lead goosenecks, and therefore services lines, that need to be removed from our distribution system. The DPW would like to replace all lead goosenecks and downstream service lines within the next ﬁve years. Detailed Project Budget: Approximately 80 lead service goosenecks can be removed for each $100,000.00. Timeline for the project: All lead goosenecks remaining in the distribution system have already been identiﬁed, and the DPW can immediately move forward with removals if funded. Resources required in addition to the ARPA funding: N/A Metrics for success of the project: Reduction in the number of lead service goosenecks remaining in the water distribution system. Outputs / outcomes: Reduction in the number of lead service goosenecks remaining in the water distribution system. Continued lead testing below the lead action level set by the EPA and MassDEP of 15 ug/l What will be the overall beneﬁt? If present, elevated levels of lead can lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels in one home may be higher than levels in other homes in the community as a result of materials used in the speciﬁc home's plumbing. Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deﬁcits in attention span and learning disabilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. By removing the remaining lead goosenecks these risks will be mitigated for Watertown residents.