One of the biggest sources of lead poisoning is water pipes.
That’s why Yellow Springs has replaced more than 6,000 feet of aging water lines in partnership with the Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Development.
The Ohio Department of Development has contributed $1.6 million toward the village’s water infrastructure updates since 2021.
Now with H2Ohio funding, the Ohio EPA is contributing over $176,000 for additional improvements.
This is the largest H2Ohio grant the village has seen to date.
The concern was about the integrity of the village’s aging water system, including the system’s galvanized and lead pipes. These types of pipes increase risks of lead poisoning.
Ohio EPA Director Anne Vogel said the village reached out to the agency for the additional financial support.
“So the Ohio EPA, we were able to dig into our couch cushions and find that money for them,” Vogel said.
The village consists of 3,700 residents. This latest project affected 400 to 500 people.
Village Manager Johnnie Burns said replacing these water mains has been proposed since the 1980s. Having the nearly $2 million in financial support of the state made it so that the financial burden wasn’t placed on residents’ water bills, said Burns.
“It means a lot (to receive this money.) We have worked very hard to get it to this point, and we have more work to do,” Burns said.
The village is 80% complete with its galvanized and lead pipe replacements, he said.
“So it just allows us to go to the next step to becoming 100% complete,” he said.
The village hasn’t reported unsafe lead levels in its water, according to Burns. These replacements were to mitigate the risk.
H2Ohio water quality and infrastructure grants are funded by the Ohio General Assembly. The program’s budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year is $270 million.
