CAPE MAY — City Council tabled a resolution authorizing a contract for lead service line replacement to continue discussions and potentially seek grant funding.
“As you know, the city [has] just about completed all of the lead service line work and main replacement within the city right of way,” City Manager Paul Dietrich said Sept. 16, adding that the city is about five or six years ahead of the schedule under the state mandate.
Dietrich informed City Council that he and Water/Sewer Superintendent Robert Cummiskey will continue to discuss the project. Cummiskey brought to his attention that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection infrastructure bank offers grant funding to continue an enhanced program for the service line replacement.
“If we make an application before October, we [will] have an opportunity to use these funds before the next fiscal year,” Dietrich said. “This part of the phase of the project would have Remington Vernick help us complete our inventory.”
The design services would be funding 100% by the grant, which includes identifying remaining homes, Dietrich added.
“That identification is not going to be near to take up the $2 million, but we could work on a program that we could also pay through the grant to replace those lines from the curb stop up to the home as a second phase of the project,” he said.
Mayor Zack Mullock asked Dietrich if he could explain the city’s responsibility for replacing the lead lines in the street and identifying the service connections from the water meters into each resident’s home.
“The city’s responsibility is to replace the actual lead service connections, part of the water distribution means, and then the service tap from the water main to the curb line,” Dietrich said. “It’s usually at the water meter, but not always, because there are some homes that have the water meter up underneath the house.”
Dietrich further explained that the city has a responsibility to identify service connections to the home, which might have leaded joints (not copper) or if it is galvanized pipe.
“Then we have to go through a series of not only identifying, but then making a minimum of three communications with the property owner to advise them that they should have these lines replaced,” he said. “And advising them of the health concerns of long-term exposure of drinking lead water.”
Mullock asked if the process included identifying galvanized pipes as well as lead pipes. Dietrich said yes, and that homes built pre-1970s all have the potential to have galvanized pipes in not only the service line, but throughout the home.
“If you live there as a year-round resident or have younger children, it’s best not to have them exposed to the lead or the water that goes through these lead pipes,” Dietrich said.
The process for the DEP grant includes principal forgiveness with the state, but there are some upfront costs per Dietrich.
Mullock asked if money is left after the research, if it would become a city project.
“It would become a city project where we would put out and identifying X number of homes,” Dietrich said. “Obviously, we would have to get consent from each property owner because the work would be done on their property.”
Depending on the number of homes identified, Dietrich said there could be a cost-share aspect.
“Maybe we do a 50-50 program and get more homes covered, but it all starts with the design,” he said. “I know the number looks like a high number, but unfortunately, [with] the DEP you have to input these numbers, and they base it on population and linear footage of the distribution mean, and then they plug it into a formula and say it should cost this much money.”
Dietrich said engineering firm Remington Vernick is at the forefront of this inventory program and was one of the first consulting firms to do so with the state.
“If we went with a different engineer, we could, but they’re going to have to get on a learning curve to do all this stuff,” he said. “Remington has all this stuff on this shelf, and they’ve been doing this actively for Ventnor, Margate, Atlantic City, [and] a number of towns that they’ve done this exact, specific project.”
Deputy Mayor Maureen McDade asked if the city would be under any obligation. Dietrich said yes, that the resolution was giving the authorization to work with Remington Vernick to submit the application to see if the city gets the grant.
Dietrich also discussed a resolution that would authorize a contract for professional services to DeBlasio and Associations for services relating to the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank application for a clean water application in 2026. He noted that it would be a companion program to the lead service line replacement.
“Reviewing the streets on the [inflow and infiltration] study the city had done, to be honest we’re almost running out of roads and we’re not doing some of the medium- and low-priority roads out of that study,” Dietrich said.
These roads include a section of Howard Street, Virginia and Texas avenues.
“There’s about six blocks in total out of those streets that would put us in line to award a construction contract for fiscal year 2026 at the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank.”
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
