Sense of the Council on District Payment for the Replacement of Lead Service Lines on District Residents' Property Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2004
PR 15-786

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Councilmember Harold Brazil
Councilmember Sharon Ambrose
Councilmember Adrian Fenty
Councilmember Sandy (Sandra) Allen
Councilmember Kevin P. Chavous
Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Jr. 

A PROPOSED RESOLUTION IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 

To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to allocate funds immediately, and to request that the Mayor include in his proposed Fiscal Year 2005 budget sufficient funds, to pay for the replacement of lead water service lines on the property of District residents.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 'That this resolution may be cited as the "Sense of the Council on District Payment for the Replacement of Lead Service Lines on District Residents' Property Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2004".

Sec. 2. (a)   Recent information from the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority ("WASA") has shown that there are high levels of lead in the drinking water of many residents of the District of Columbia.

(b) High levels of lead can cause serious health problems, particularly in young children and pregnant women.

(c) WASA has initiated a program to replace its lead service lines, but WASA will only replace the section of the lead service line from WASA's main line to a homeowner's property line.

(d) WASA does not replace the portion of the lead service line that is on a homeowner's property - i.e., the portion of the pipe from the property line to the home itself - without payment by the homeowner.

(e) It costs an average of $2,000 to replace the portion of the lead service line on the homeowner's property.

(f) Many homeowners cannot afford to pay for the replacement of the portion of the line on their property.

(g) A significant health risk will continue to exist if the lead service line on the homeowners' property remains.

(h) This health risk will be increased because of the galvanic corrosion caused by the joining of copper and lead service lines.

(i) It is very important that the entire lead service line be replaced, in order to protect the health of District residents, particularly young children and pregnant women.

(j) In order to protect the health of its residents, the District government should pay for the replacement of lead service lines on a resident's property.

(k) Since WASA is currently in the process of replacing hundreds of its lead service lines, payment for the replacement of the lead service lines on residents' property must begin as soon as possible.

(1) Moreover, the Mayor is scheduled to transmit to the Council a proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2005 by March 22, 2004.

(m) It is important that the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2005 include funds to pay for the replacement of lead service lines on District residents' property.

Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia finds that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Sense of the Council on District Payment for the Replacement of Lead Services Lines on District Residents' Property be adopted on an emergency basis.

Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.