Akron is closing in on the city’s goal of being lead free by 2027, according to officials. The city will begin work on replacing most of its remaining lead water lines in September.
In the 1960s, Akron had 50,000 lead water service lines according to Water Bureau Manager Jeff Bronowksi, and these lines can corrode, causing lead to enter drinking water which can cause health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lead service lines are the most significant source of lead in water, according to the EPA. The maximum contaminant level for lead set by the EPA is zero, because lead can be harmful to human health even at low levels.
Akron has 1,800 lead water service lines left, Bronowksi said. A project set to get underway will whittle that number down to 300.
"We have a total of 1,500 lead services that are going to be replaced through these contracts with these two different contractors," he said, "and that's going to start in September and last one year."
Aside from mitigating the health risks that lead lines bring, replacing these lines brings other benefits to residents, Bronowski said.
“Customers have been extremely satisfied with the additional pressure and flow that they’re able to receive inside their home," he said.
The city will apply for more grant funding next March to replace the remaining 300 lead water lines, Bronowksi said. This progress puts Akron far ahead of cities of similar size, he added.
"Akron initiated this lead service removal before any of these rules and these new laws have gone into effect," he said. "Our removal dates back to 1960s."
But that’s not all Akron’s water system needs.
"Not only are we looking to eliminate the public side lead, but we're also looking to eliminate the private side galvanized that was once connect to lead," Bronowksi explained.
The city is also currently working on that project as well as working to replace the city’s aging water mains, some of which are from the 1880s, Bronowski said.
"We have projects, upcoming projects and some current projects, to continue to address the water main replacement," he said.
