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Study Session: Water System Infrastructure Upgrades

During a study session on Monday, October 17, 2022, the Lincoln Park City Council will be presented with a $35M water infrastructure proposal. The proposal aims to upgrade approximately thirty miles of water mains in the city over the next seven years and result in significant long-term operational savings to the aged system.  

Many of the city’s water infrastructure has been in place since the early development of the city. In some cases, the city’s water mains are roughly one hundred years old. The life expectancy of these pipes is only seventy-five to one hundred years.

Over the past few years, the city continues to see increased water leakage throughout the system. The city also experiences significant increases in water main breaks. It is estimated that the age and condition of the system is responsible for approximately $1M in costs annually. 

City Manager James Krizan said, “Our water system is at a crisis point. If the city would have acted decades before, we would not be in the condition we are in now. The city needs to avoid making that mistake again.”

The last major water infrastructure program the city completed occurred between 1987 and 1990 and cost approximately $8M. 

The study session will be televised on the Lincoln Park TV channel and streamed on the city’s YouTube Page.