When it comes to lead in city water supplies, the nation is learning from Flint, Mich. In Boston, the mayor is incentivizing commercial and residential businesses to replace private lead water services.
"The health and safety of our residents is our top priority and in Boston we are making significant strides towards replacing the remaining lead pipes across the city," said Mayor Martin Walsh, in Water & Waste Digest magazine. "It is our hope that residents will take advantage of this program to replace lead water service at their property to help us move the city of Boston towards a safer housing stock and a healthier city."
The program will double the financial assistance up to $2,000 if they use a contractor offered by the Boston Water & Sewer Commission to replace lead pipes on their property, the magazine says. Another deal will provide an interest-free loans for 48 months.
It's a program that has actually been around since 2005 and one responsible for replacing 1,391 private lead services, the publication says. Now that the nation has become aware of the potential problems, the city expects the replacements to be expedited.
