Indiana American Water Awarded nearly $19 Million To Replace Lead Pipes In Gary
News Release
GREENWOOD — Indiana American Water announced today, Tuesday, March 12, that the Indiana Finance Authority has awarded nearly $19 million in Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to help fund replacement or retirement of approximately 4,000 lead service lines in Gary. The award includes a $6 million forgivable loan and a $12.9 million no-interest loan to be used for work performed over the next two years.
“We greatly appreciate this support from the state of Indiana as we work to proactively address the long-standing issue of lead service lines across the state,” said Indiana American Water President Matt Prine. “These funds will make our lead service line removal program even more affordable and speed up our efforts to get the lead out of Indiana once and for all.”
State Revolving Fund Loan programs provide low-interest loans to Indiana communities for projects that improve wastewater and drinking water infrastructure to protect public health and the environment.
“With new compliance requirements on the horizon for later this year, Indiana water utilities are looking for ways to expedite the removal of lead service lines in their communities,” said Dan Huge, public finance director of the state of Indiana. “We appreciate Indiana American Water’s efforts over the last several years to remove lead service lines and are pleased to lend support to their efforts in Gary, which has one of the highest concentrations of LSLs in the state.”
Indiana American Water has already invested nearly $97 million to replace or remove almost 30,000 lead service lines, or about 54 percent of the known lead service lines in its service areas across the state. Indiana American Water was the first water utility in the state to file a plan for lead service line replacement following passage of House Enrolled Act 1519 in 2017. HEA 1519 contained a process for water utilities to obtain authority to replace customer-owned lead service lines, even though the lines are not owned by the utility.
Indiana American Water estimates that there were as many as 55,000 lead service lines in use just a few years ago in its service areas across the state, with about two-thirds of those located in northwest Indiana.
It is important to note that if a customer’s service lines contain lead, it does not mean they cannot use water as they normally do. Indiana American Water samples for lead in drinking water on a routine basis and provides corrosion control treatment where needed to mitigate potential threats and the water delivered to customers meets state and federal water quality regulations, including those set for lead.
Indiana American Water recently launched a lead education campaign with several resources for customers, including a step-by-step tutorial showing how to identify pipe material, answers to frequently asked questions, information on steps we take to reduce the potential for lead to leach from customer plumbing, and a video on how Indiana American Water is working to remove lead service lines across the state.
For more information about the steps Indiana American Water takes to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water, as well as ways to assess and reduce exposure to lead at home, visit the company’s lead resources page.
To learn more about regulations and programs developed under the Safe Drinking Water Act or if you have questions about lead in drinking water, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s lead page or contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.
