FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Kevin Osborne, kevin.osborne@gcww.cincinnati-oh.gov, (513) 516-1966

Ohio EPA Provides $500,000 Grant to Perform Work
CINCINNATI, OH — Greater Cincinnati Water Works (GCWW) is beginning a major project to replace lead service lines at more than 100 licensed childcare facilities within its service area.

The work is funded through a $500,000 grant awarded by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA). The grant is part of a comprehensive approach to improving access to clean drinking water.

“We are excited to provide no-cost lead service line replacements to childcare providers as part of our collaboration with the Ohio EPA,” said Andrea Yang, GCWW’s Interim Executive Director.

“Infants and small children are particularly vulnerable to the health hazards caused by lead, so the grant will be impactful for our work,” Ms. Yang continued. “This funding will help accelerate our efforts to replace all lead lines remaining in our system.”

GCWW has identified 104 licensed childcare facilities within its service area that have a private-side lead line. A private-side line runs from the curb stop at the property line into the meter within the building. Although the lines are owned by property owners and are their responsibility, GCWW offers no-cost replacement to improve public health.

The utility is partnering with Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services, 4C for Children, and Preschool Promise to spread the word and encourage childcare providers to sign up for a replacement.

Childcare providers interested in a replacement should call 513.651.LEAD (5323) or email childcaregrant@gcww.cincinnati-oh.gov for more information. Grant funding is available to providers who rent or own the facility.

God’s Little Angels Daycare on McHenry Avenue in East Westwood will be the first facility to get a replacement through the grant. Work is expected to begin soon.
In total, GCWW has replaced nearly 7,500 lead lines since its Enhanced Lead Service Line Replacement Program began in 2018. About 33,400 lines remain, and the utility has a goal of replacing them all by 2037.

Lead was a common material used for pipes and other fixtures through the 1920s, but subsequent research revealed the metal can cause significant health problems, especially in young children. Even low levels of lead exposure can lead to developmental delays and neurological damage in infants and children. GCWW uses corrosion control treatment as part of its water treatment process to minimize the amount of lead that can leach into drinking water from pipes and plumbing. The treatment is designed to coat the inside of pipes, creating a barrier between the water and the pipe material, thus reducing the risk of lead contamination. Studies have shown, however, that the only 100% effective method is to remove the lead altogether.

GCWW supplies more than 43 billion gallons of water a year to about 240,000 residential and commercial accounts, representing more than 1.1 million customers in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

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