Topeka city officials look to approve $74 million lead pipe replacement plan.

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Topeka city leaders are due to discuss a new resolution with a budget that nearly reaches $75,000,000.

27 News looked at the agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting on Nov. 12. Included among the items on the agenda is a resolution to amend the 2025-2034 Capital Improvement Plan and 2025-2027 Capital Improvement Budget to include the Lead Service Line Replacement Project.

The project comes with a total budget set at $74,280,000 and requires the consenting votes of at least six members of the City Council to pass. The cash will come from the Kansas Public Water Supply Loan Fund administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), according to the agenda. The loan will have an estimated $37,585,680 in loan forgiveness with payments to occur over a 20-year period.

City of Topeka officials announced in October that more than 1,000 lead and galvanized service lines need to be replaced in the Capital City. This survey and the current push to replace these pipes follows earlier recommendations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Biden-Harris Administration.

The EPA issued its final rule requiring the replacement of lead pipes in 10 years on Oct. 8. Federal officials also set aside $27.7 million in funds for the state of Kansas to use to improve water quality to homes and schools.

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