Deadline approaching for Waterloo homeowners to apply for lead pipe grant replacement |

Waterloo residents who want to take advantage of a city scholarship program to replace the lead pipes in their homes have run out of time.

In 2021, the city offered grants to homeowners that cover up to 75% of the cost of replacing lead pipes, up to a maximum of $ 3,750. The grants were made possible after the city received approximately $ 237,000 from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

When the city council approved the scholarship program in February, it was expected to cover 106 homes.

“We hope everyone gets on board and does (the replacements) because it’s about using them or losing them,” Mayor Jeni Quimby said at the time.

City Clerk / Treasurer Mo Hansen said homeowners have until December 31 this week to apply for a grant. And it’s a refund, he said, which means the job must be completed before the application is made.

With September here, time is running out and there is no word on whether the scholarship window will be extended to 2020, Hansen said. He said homeowners shouldn’t expect the grants to be available next year.

Hansen said the grant in 2021 followed an interest-free loan program the city offered homeowners to replace lead pipes in 2020.

In 2020, the city issued around 20 loans.

Hansen said the city recently received news that it could use the DNR allocation to cover these loans and waived the entire amount for homeowners.

This is the second time in recent years that the city has offered a scholarship program to replace lead pipes, noted Hansen. She already offered such a program in 2017.

“We’ve been with it for several years,” he says.

The city’s website has extensive information on the current subsidy program, including a graphic that explains where the city’s responsibility for water pipes ends and that of the homeowner’s responsibility begins.

The website also includes a summary of the funding program, a list of qualified local plumbers, and a statement on how to identify a lead pipe (as opposed to copper or galvanized steel pipe). There is also a downloadable grant application form and a step-by-step explanation of the process homeowners must go through to qualify for a grant.

You can also call the city at (920) 478-3025 for more information.

You might also like

Comments are closed.