Lafayette navigates learning curve on lead water line replacement project
A Q&A as the city heads into the next, bigger phase of federally mandated work to get rid of lead water lines, while looking to upping the success rate of getting into home to get the work done.
Support for this edition comes from Purdue for Life, presenting Purdue Day of Giving. This Wednesday, you can be a Boilermaker hero by participating in #PurdueDayOfGiving! Every gift — no matter the size — makes victories possible for Purdue. Learn more at dayofgiving.purdue.edu.
Support for this edition also comes from Purdue’s Presidential Lecture Series. Purdue University invites the Greater Lafayette community to the Presidential Lecture Series event featuring Bruce Leak, a leading tech-industry investor, engineer and digital multimedia pioneer, on April 30 at 6 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall. The conversation will explore the future of computing and the role of innovation in solving complex global challenges. This event is free and open to the public, with a general admission ticket required. Learn more and reserve your free ticket: https://www.purdue.edu/president/lecture-series/a-conversation-with-bruce-leak/
LAFAYETTE NAVIGATES LEARNING CURVE ON LEAD WATER LINE REPLACEMENT PROJECT
Correction: Jacque Chosnek is Lafayette’s city attorney. An earlier version of this included an incorrect title for her.
A second phase of what’s expected to be a 10-year project to replace lead service lines to Lafayette’s oldest homes will be bigger than the first, with double the amount coming recently in state grants and loan programs.
A request for bids went out earlier this month for an extension of the project aimed at lead fixtures in water lines, either at the street or in homes, for 1,440 properties. According to Lafayette figures, the city has $10 million available for the next round, compared to $5 million available for the first areas in north end neighborhoods targeted in the federally mandated project, expected to wrap up this spring.
The project, though, finds the city looking for new ways to persuade some homeowners to allow contractors in to do work that comes at no direct cost to property owners.
“This has been harder, in a lot of ways, than we thought it might be,” Jacque Chosnek, city attorney, said.
The first phase of the city’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program, started in early 2025 under a federal mandate, targeting the 867 homes in the city’s north end to take out lead and galvanized water lines. In all, the project will work its way south and include roughly 3,200 homes in Lafayette. That’s about 8% of the city’s 40,000 service lines, mainly including homes built before 1935, when local homebuilders working in the city phased out lead and galvanized pipes for water lines.
By the time it’s done, the city estimates the cost will be more than $40.35 million by 2034. The first phase will include $5 million set aside from a $2.5 million grant and a $2.5 million, zero percent interest loan from the State Revolving Fund, awarded in July 2024.
Here’s a conversation with Chosnek about what’s next and how the city is trying pick up the success rate of getting addresses done.
Question: Where do things stand heading into the next phase of this project?
Jacque Chosnek: The original funding that we received was $5 million. It was a $2.5 million grant and $2.5 million interest-free loan from the State Revolving Fund. We have run through all of the areas – what we refer to as Areas 1, 2 and 3 – and completed all lead service lines that we had right of entries for. There are about 150 properties still in Areas 1, 2 and that we didn’t get right of entries for. So the remaining money of that first $5 million is going to roll over into a new $10 million that we’re getting that we’re going to close on next month, with a $5 million grant and $5 million interest-free loan.
Question: Why is it more this time around?
Jacque Chosnek: Actually, we were able to receive more because Lafayette is so far ahead in our lead service line replacement process. We’re further ahead than a lot of other communities. So (the State Revolving Fund) had this money, and because we are making such good progress, they offered it to us. It was a great incentive, and a reward for us, for moving forward with the project.
Question: What was the problem in the 150 properties in Areas 1 through 3 who did not give right of entry? Was there a theme or themes that came up about why they didn’t want to do that?
Jacque Chosnek: It is partly a lack of communication. I think it is more lack of us being able to connect with the people that we need to and get them to understand what we are trying to do. So we actually, as we’re getting ready to head into the next phase, are making some adjustments to our forms and our outreach and other things to maybe help explain what this project is. I don’t know if a lot of people, when they got the notice, thought it was a scam or something like that, because it was no charge, or just maybe didn’t understand what we were doing. So, we’re really trying to expand our marketing efforts on this next round to really be able to catch people and really help them understand what we’re trying to do.
Question: With this marketing, is there a tactic you can use that gets away from the question about this being some sort of scam or getting someone to understand what’s up?
Jacque Chosnek: One thing that we did, and it’s already a short version that’s on our social media, is our marketing department made a long-form video that shows what the lead service line process looks like in a yard – what the hole looks like, what the workers look like and all those things to try to help educate homeowners that think we’re just going to come in and completely tear up their yard and this and that. That’s not the case. Here you can come and take a look at what it actually is. We’re trying to give as much education information to our citizens as we can.
Question: That 150 was out of how many total? What was your percentage of success?
Jacque Chosnek: So we have completed a total of 582 lead service line replacements so far. Of our original lines, 869 is how many were in the lead service line replacement program, but some of those we only have to replace the utility side of the lead service line, at the street, and we don’t actually need the right of entry to get into the person’s house.
We still have the map and project tracker on our website, which you can search if your address has a lead service line or not. It will show which lead service lines we’ve replaced and which ones are still left to be replaced. And then, in Areas 1, 2 and 3, it does show the properties that we were not able to get a right of entry for.
Question: How much of this ended up door-to-door and other second and third approaches to get to that 582 completed?
Jacque Chosnek: I’ll just give you a kind of rundown of everything that we have done. If you remember, when we first started, we had some public meetings in order to educate. We would have sent out probably at least three mailers, automated emails, automated phone calls, our project representative or our contractor, if they were on a street where maybe there was a house missing nearby, they might try to knock on a door to get the one house that wasn’t there. We did do some just general door-to-door knocking, but that really didn’t prove to be effective and it’s pretty time consuming, so we have kind of backed away from that.
Question: What’s the next approach?
Jacque Chosnek: Right now, anybody that hasn’t already returned their right of entry, they’re going to be getting a packet in the next couple of weeks that will have information on what our program is, what we need them to do, the benefits of it. We do explain this lead service line replacement, if you were to pay for it, is anywhere from about $3,000 to $8,000 to show the value of what we’re doing. It’ll have a QR code to take you to this video so you can actually see what the process is and that hopefully answers any questions about that. And we have a more simplified right of entry form that hopefully will be easier for everyone to understand and be comfortable with.
Question: As I was preparing for this, our house is on this map, and I started wondering, Did I already throw away something I shouldn’t have thrown away? Is there a way to know that you should check in with the city and say, I think I’ve missed it, or to know if your neighborhood is next? Is there a process where somebody can be proactive about it?
Jacque Chosnek: Absolutely. Go to our service line replacement tracker on the website and put in your address, and you will be able to verify if you have a lead service line. It won’t necessarily show if we have the right of entry from you yet, but if it shows you have a lead service line, and you don’t remember seeing anything, then maybe you missed it. The forms are all on our website. You can complete the form online, as well. If you have any questions, I think the best thing is, is go to our web service replacement page and look at all the forms there. There’s a Q&A on there, as well, and a way to be able to search to see if your property is included in the program.
Question: If you’re going to come into a house and you have right of entry, what should people expect to have to do? What’s going to happen?
Jacque Chosnek: We’re getting ready to bid out, so we’ll have a potentially different contractor for the next phase. But the contractor’s required to have a licensed plumber on staff. The licensed plumber usually comes in a couple days before the contractor to take a look at your piping, where it comes in at if there’s any access issues. We do ask the property owners give us unimpeded access to their water shut off or their entry valve so that we can do the replacement. And then, in terms of the actual replacement, it’s in a one-day project. The water gets shut off temporarily, but it gets turned right back on as soon as the service line is replaced. Then we provide our customers with flushing instructions and a filter, as well, because once you replace those lines, there can be some disturbance in the line. The recommendation is to flush your water and use a filter. Then, the city will offer and come back out and do lead testing three to six months down the road, if requested.
Question: Have you had any issues with anybody who says, Wait, this wasn’t what I thought it was going to be? Or has the operation been pretty smooth once you’re in?
Jacque Chosnek: It’s been pretty smooth once we’re in. Of course, you’re always going to have little hiccups here and there, but our contractors have been really good at resolving all of those quickly. We try to be as proactive as we can, because we don’t want to disrupt anybody’s water service at their home for longer than necessary.
Question: What’s part of the next phases?
Jacque Chosnek: Because we’ve got the $10 million, our next phase is going to include Areas 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. We weren’t necessarily prepared to do that much. We were kind of expecting another $5 million. When we found out we were getting $10 million, we expanded the area. So, this will actually be a two-year phase, as opposed to a one-year phase.
Question: How many more phases after Area 9?
Jacque Chosnek: There are three more phases after nine. We’re definitely on track to meet our requirements to get our lead service lines replaced in time.
Question: You had to know that this was going to take a lot of work. Has this been more work than you thought?
Jacque Chosnek: Yes, I will say that it’s been more work than we thought. It’s actually one of the most collaborative projects that the city has been involved with in terms of the number of departments that are involved because of the complexity of the project. My office is kind of taking the lead on obtaining right of entries. And then we have water, we have engineering, we have marketing, utility billing – they’re all involved. It has been a much more complex project than anyone anticipated when we got started. Everybody’s doing their part to make sure we’re doing this successfully.
Question: If someone decides they don’t want the city in their house for this, are there any repercussions from that? Or does that all come, somehow, when they sell and somebody says, Why are there lead service lines? Is there anything like that?
Jacque Chosnek: Obviously we can’t make people let us into their home to replace the service line. You’re absolutely able to deny replacement. But under the rules, we mark that in our utility billing system that replacement was denied. And if the property is ever sold and they come in for new water service, we will restart those conversations with the new property owner to try to get the lead service line replaced.
Question: Let’s say, five years down the road, after this project’s done, somebody does change their mind, and they come to the city. Is there anything set aside to take care of those? Or will it be, Sorry, that’s a $3,000 project for yourself.
Jacque Chosnek: As long as we’re still open and involved in the project, and actively performing it, when they come in, we’re going to put them in as part of the program. If something were to come in years down the road, we’re going to have to look at that because of the nature of the funding we’re using. But our goal is to absolutely replace everybody’s lead service line.
Question: What other context should people know?
Jacque Chosnek: I just want to reinforce that if people have questions, they can contact the city. We really do want to make sure everyone is comfortable with the process, and so if there’s any questions or concerns, please reach out and we will try to address them.
For more: To check your address and other information, go to Lafayette’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program site here.
THIS AND THAT/OTHER READS …
LPD CLEARS OFFICERS INVOLVED IN SHOOTING DEATH ON STILLWELL STREET: The Lafayette Police Department cleared six officers to return to duty last week after they were involved in the shooting death of James Robert Allison, 66, of Lafayette, in a confrontation on Stillwell Street early April 19.
According to LPD, police responded to a report of Allison in the street in the city’s north end, pointing a gun at another man. Police say that when they arrived at 12:15 a.m. April 19, officers found Allison in the street armed with a rifle and a handgun. According to the police account, Allison ignored repeated orders to drop the gun before he was shot by police. Allison died shortly after. No officers were injured, LPD reported.
LPD reported that a department shooting review board met April 23 and determined that the actions of the six officers on the scene – Collin Haag, Garrett Prescott, Izek Morrison, Alejandro Ramirez, Michael Ross and Christian Riggs – “were consistent with department policy and training.” The officers were cleared for duty after the board hearing.
A review of the incident by the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor’s Office is ongoing, according to LPD.
TOURISM WEEK EVENTS. MAY 3-9: Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette will join in National Travel and Tourism Week with a series of local events and tours the week of May 3, encouraging people to “be a tourist in your own backyard.”
Among the events:
May 3: Admission will be free at Prophetstown State Park, 5545 Swisher Road, near Battle Ground.
May 4: Take a tour of downtown Lafayette’s public art from 3-4:30 p.m. The tour starts at Riehle Plaza at Second and Main streets. Registration is free but required, available here.
May 6: Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette will be at the West Lafayette Farmers Market in Cumberland Park with activities and giveaways.
May 7: A Downtown Sweet Crawl, 2:30-5:30 p.m., will make stops at Smittybread, Sweet Revolution, Kürtőskalács, McCord Candies, Scones & Doilies and Every’s Ice Cream. The tour is free but registration is required, available here.
May 8: Yoga in the Park, 6-7 p.m., will be a free community class at the Memorial Island stage, led by instructors from Be Moved Power Yoga. Check here for more information.
Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette will have samples from Igloo, Triple XXX root beer and other treats at the visitors center, 301 Frontage Road, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. May 4-8.
Thanks, again, for support from Purdue for Life, presenting Purdue Day of Giving on Wednesday, April 29. Learn more at dayofgiving.purdue.edu.
Thanks, also, for support from Purdue’s Presidential Lecture Series, presenting a conversation with Bruce Leak, a leading tech-industry investor, engineer and digital multimedia pioneer, on April 30 at 6 p.m. in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall. Reserve your free ticket here.
Thank you for supporting Based in Lafayette, an independent, local reporting project. Free and full-ride subscription options are ready for you here.
Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
I found the process of replacing lead lines at my 1930-era house very easy. The contractors did a neat job, and came back to add soil around the water shutoff thing when it started to sink. And they were careful around a rose bush that was in their way!
Great example of local-interest reporting, Dave.