Flint’s Lead Pipe Replacement Program Put On Hold
The company ROWE which is contracted to replace the galvanized and lead-infested pipes in Flint is running low on funding and will have to put things on pause, for now.
So far close to 7,000 homes have had their pipes lines replaced, but with funding running low it's gonna be super tough to finish up the last 500 homes on their list.
ROWE, the company contracted by the city to check and replace water lines, says they need another $500,000 to continue work. Right now ROWE says only $30,000 is left from what has already been allocated for this phase.
SOurce:NBC25.com
You'll be amazed at how expensive it is to dig a hole in the city, replace damaged pipes, fill that hole, and repave the concrete. Repairing the concrete in certain grocery store parking lots can reach up to $50,000 in repairs alone. So I'm very surprised that they only need $500,000 to finish up. That's not a lot of money when it comes to repairs.
Even with all the work and money spent so far, we still need more.
"If the contractor starts back up work with the weather improving they're anticipating going back to work probably later this week or next week so 30,000 doesn't go very far," said Jeff Markstrom, Project Manager, ROWE.
Hopefully, with all the grant money floating through the city as of late some of that will be used to refresh the pipe replacement budget. It's crazy that we're still dealing with this problem years later.