City Council moves forward with process to replace city’s water service lines

By Barbara Taormina

The City Council voted to authorize Mayor Patrick Keefe to file and accept grants with and from the state Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Mass. Clean Water Trust for the city’s lead service line inventory and replacement program. The program involves developing a service line inventory for Revere’s 12,000 service lines by gathering, reviewing and compiling the city’s existing service line information.

According to City Engineer Nick Rystrom, EPA has modified its requirements regarding lead lines. The new grants and loans are “support to comply with the new rules.” The inventory would focus on lines from the main water line to shut off points throughout the entire city.

Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna asked how the inventory would affect Winthrop Street, where residents have been waiting to have the road repaved. “What are we looking at? Do we have to wait another year?” asked McKenna.

Rystrom said the inventory is for the entire city and there could be more delays for Winthrop Street but said that he could talk to the Paving coordinator. “If there’s an opportunity to do some paving in the interim, we can look at that,” he said. However, the inventory of the entire city needs to be done by October 2024.

MassDEP and the Clean Water Trust are authorized to make loans and grants to communities for the purpose of funding construction related to water pollution abatement projects and drinking water projects.

Rystrom told councillors the inventory would consider the age of a house, any historical documentation on the dwelling and, if needed, a physical investigation, such as digging a test pit. “We will use all the tools in our toolbox to find out what’s lead and where it is, and how can we make a plan to systematically remove it,” said Rystrom.

Any loans or grants awarded to the City are intended to be used to pay for planning and the city will pay costs for its share of the project.