Dubuque approves $2.071m for second lead-line replacement phase
City of Dubuque Water Department, Iowa · Meeting date: October 19, 2026 · Published: October 20, 2026
Dubuque City Council has approved State Revolving Fund-backed water-revenue financing for a second phase targeting about 210 private lead service lines across the city’s water distribution area. The financing corrects an $11,000 omission from the amount considered at a September hearing.
Key points
- The approved Series 2026A water-revenue bond financing is capped at $2.071 million.
- Phase II is planned to replace approximately 210 lead service lines, with final numbers dependent on contractors’ unit-price bids.
- Phase I replaced 133 lead service lines and was completed in fall 2025 before council acceptance in March 2026.
- Council corrected the earlier $2.06 million financing figure after the SRF application omitted an $11,000 loan-initiation fee.
- The city said 49% of construction costs will be forgivable under the SRF loan, while some private-side work will instead require Water Construction Fund support.
Full report
Dubuque City Council has approved up to $2.071 million in water-revenue capital loan notes for Phase II of its private lead service line replacement pilot programme, moving the city toward replacement of approximately 210 additional lines across its water distribution area.
The October 19 approval authorises taxable Water Revenue Bonds, Series 2026A, through Iowa’s State Revolving Fund programme. It replaces the $2.06 million amount previously considered by council on September 21, after staff found that the SRF construction application and earlier public-hearing amount had omitted an $11,000 loan-initiation fee.
Phase II will use a combination of Iowa SRF and Water Construction Fund sources. City staff said this reflects limits on SRF eligibility: some work on private portions of the service connections required for a complete replacement cannot be reimbursed through the SRF programme.
The city’s first pilot phase replaced 133 lead service lines. That work was completed in fall 2025 and accepted by council in March 2026; staff said the initial phase provided implementation information that has shaped the planning, design and construction requirements for subsequent phases.
Replacement numbers for the second phase will depend on bids for unit-price items at individual sites. Council members noted during the hearing that work from the first phase is already visible in neighbourhoods.
According to the city’s presentation, the SRF financing carries 49% forgiveness of construction costs and matures on June 1, 2046. The council was told the loan would be abated from the water fund.
The approval comes as Dubuque continues to frame lead exposure as a public-health and water-infrastructure issue. In a Lead Poisoning Prevention Week proclamation earlier in the meeting, the city said its Water Department treats drinking water to protect residents from lead contamination and had assisted homeowners with replacement of 173 lead service lines.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Council Meeting, City of Dubuque Water Department