FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paige Gehlhausen, Press Secretary
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Zay applauds Fort Wayne City Utilities for their work with lead water line replacement
STATEHOUSE (Jan. 19, 2024) — After recent discussion on Senate Bill 5 in the Senate Committee on Utilities, State Sen. Andy Zay (R-Huntington) is recognizing Fort Wayne City Utilities as a leader in addressing issues regarding lead water line replacements.
In 2018, Fort Wayne City Utilities filed a capital improvement plan with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC), which sought to secure funding for water service maintenance and established a Lead Service Line Replacement Program alongside an existing Water Main and Repair Program.
If a water main being replaced is found to contain lead, City Utilities pays to replace those service lines. In addition, the Lead Service Line Replacement Program partners with City Utilities' customers to replace the customer-owned portion of the service line with safer materials. As of 2023, about 650 Fort Wayne residents have taken advantage of this program.
Last year, Fort Wayne City Utilities received a $13 million dollar loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to immediately replace 2,100 lead service lines.
"Lead water pipes can cause severe health issues and Indiana has many that are still in use, which is why Senate Republicans have included SB 5 in our 2024 legislative priorities," Zay said. "As committee members and I discussed, it became very clear that Fort Wayne City Utilities has been addressing this issue long before legislation was considered. I strongly applaud them for their work and commitment to the health and safety of Hoosiers in Northeast Indiana. I look forward to their success in the future."
Since lead water lines are known to cause health problems and Indiana has more than 265,000 still in use, SB 5, which Zay co-authored, would enable utility companies with IURC-approved lead line service replacement plans to replace lead pipes quickly and in a more cost effective way.
After passing the Senate Committee on Utilities unanimously, SB 5 will now move to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for further consideration. To learn more, click here.
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State Sen. Andy Zay (R-Huntington) represents Senate District 17,
which includes Grant, Huntington and Wabash counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
