Vermont
A new federal rule requires removing lead pipes. In Vermont, locating them has been tricky
This story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.
Water utilities across the nation will have to replace all lead pipes within a decade under a new federal rule aimed at tackling a toxin that is particularly dangerous to young children.
In a state with aging infrastructure, Vermont officials are working to assess the implications of the mandate, which the White House finalized earlier this week.
Already, communities across the state have been undertaking a painstaking inventory of all of their service lines to comply with an existing federal rule, said Ben Montross, drinking water program manager with Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation. That means they must survey all of the service lines connected to the water system and document what materials they’re made of. Those results are due back to the state next week.
That effort has ranged from tiny village schools — which often are distinct public drinking water systems — to larger city water districts, Montross said. Lead from decades-old pipes that connect water mains to buildings can leach into the drinking water supply, posing significant health risks.
“One of the reasons why we need to do these inventories is it’s really hard to guess and to predict where these service lines are,” Montross said.
Getting a sense of where lead pipes might be situated underground has required sifting through old land records and building permits, along with door-to-door visits to inspect water hookups in residents’ homes, said Thomas Garofano, water division manager and chief operator for Rutland City.
But that process has delivered encouraging results: The city has found no lead service lines, Garofano said. It has identified a minimal number of old galvanized pipes — typically steel and coated with a substance meant to prevent corrosion — that will be slated for replacement.
“For the City of Rutland, we look like we’re in pretty good shape,” Garofano said. Public works administrators in Montpelier and Brattleboro gave similar responses on Thursday.
Right now, DEC’s understanding is that Vermont does not have “copious amounts of lead service lines statewide,” Montross said. Aside from Bennington — which has worked to remove its extensive network of lead service lines over the last several years – the state has not thus far detected other large concentrations of lead lines.
Based on the inventories the department has received already, along with conversations with contractors and consultants completing the work locally, Montross does not expect many “big surprises” when the inventories come in next week.
“We are cautiously optimistic that we have a good sense of what is in store,” Montross said. “But that’s not to say there won’t be, you know, lines that we didn’t know about that we get notified about next week.”
Detecting any lead service lines soon is key. Vermont received an influx of federal cash from the 2021 infrastructure law for replacing lead lines over a five-year period. That funding covers replacements for both the “system-owned” portion of water lines, on municipal land, and the privately-owned portions connecting to homes and other buildings.
Once that money runs out, there will no longer be funding available to address the customer side of the lines, Montross said.
“So it’s in the water system’s best interest to do it now while the money’s there,” Montross said.
The new mandate rolled out by the Environmental Protection Agency this week to remove all lead lines in 10 years only makes that work more urgent. Currently, if a water system has lead service lines and elevated lead levels in drinking water samples, the operators are required to install treatment – like adjusting pH levels at a water treatment plant or using “corrosion inhibitors,” Montross said. If those interventions don’t work, then they must replace the lead lines.
The new rule goes a step further. “The new regulation isn’t waiting around for treatment,” Montross said. “It’s not allowing the lead lines to stay.”
There is no safe level of lead exposure in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health risks from even low levels of lead exposure can be long-lasting and irreversible, and include developmental delays, difficulty learning, and behavioral problems.
The new EPA rule lowers the level of lead contamination that will trigger government enforcement. It also requires lead testing in schools that get their water from public utilities. Vermont has had a similar requirement on the books since 2019.
In a separate announcement on Thursday, several Vermont municipalities will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to mitigate lead exposure in homes.
Burlington has been awarded a $4.8 million grant to address “lead and other housing hazards in 96 housing units,” and Windham County has been awarded a $1.1 million capacity-building grant to develop a program “to determine the prevalence of childhood poisoning, identify and train local contractors to address lead hazards, and create a strategy to incorporate lead hazard control into existing and future housing repair programs.”
UVM welcomes Adrian Dubois as new men’s soccer coach
Adrian Dubois answers questions from the media following his introductory press conference on Monday, Dec. 22.
Conference play is in full swing to both Vermont basketball and hockey teams. Vermont basketball and women’s basketball both have a bye on Saturday, Jan. 10, meaning only the hockey teams are in action.
How did those Catamounts men’s and women’s hockey teams fare this weekend? For schedule, scores and stats from all games, read on below:
FRIDAY, JAN. 9
Women’s hockey
Vermont 4, Merrimack 1
V: Oona Havana 2G. Kaylee Lewis 1G. Rose-Marie Brochu 1G. Julia Mesplede 2A. Stella Retrum 1A. Lauren O’Hara 1A. Brooke George 1A. Ashley Kokavec 1A. Zoe Cliche 19 saves.
M: Emma Pfeffer 1G. Stina Sandberg 1A. Avery Anderson 1A. Lauren Lyons 39 saves.
Note: The women’s hockey team has won three straight games securing its largest win streak of the season.
Men’s hockey
Vermont 3, Northeastern 2
V: Sebastian Tornqvist 1G, 2A. Jens Richards 1G. Massimo Lombardi 1G. Colin Kessler 1A. Aiden Wright 1A. Jack Malinski 1A. Cedrick Guindon 1A. Aiden Wright 20 saves.
N: Joe Connor 1G. Amine Hajibi 1G. Jack Henry 1A. Tyler Fukakusa 1A. Dylan Hryckowian 1A. Dylan Finlay 1A. Lawton Zacher 21 saves.
Note: The men’s hockey team has won two straight games for the first time since winning its first two games of the season (Oct. 4-10).
SATURDAY, JAN. 10
Women’s hockey
Vermont at Merrimack, 2 p.m.
Men’s hockey
Northeastern at Vermont, 7 p.m.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
Vermont
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital reaches settlement with US Justice Department over ADA compliance
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that the hospital violated the Americans with Disabilities Act during patient visits dating back to at least 2018.
The U.S. attorney for the District of Vermont received a complaint from a patient who said Brattleboro Memorial failed to provide qualified sign language interpreters and appropriate auxiliary aids and services during visits to the emergency department.
After an investigation, the U.S. attorney’s office said it discovered other patients, whose primary means of communication is American Sign Language, who did not receive adequate services from the hospital.
Under terms of the agreement, the hospital says it will provide qualified interpreters, create a new grievance procedure, provide training to its staff personnel on effective communication, and designate a program administrator who will coordinate 24/7 access to auxiliary aids and services.
“BMH believes the agreement represents a positive step forward and aligns with the Hospital’s ongoing commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and high-quality care for all patients,” hospital spokesperson Gina Pattison wrote in a prepared statement. “The agreement reflects improvements BMH has implemented over the past several years to better serve patients who are deaf or hard of hearing.”
Pattison wrote that the hospital worked cooperatively with the Department of Justice throughout the investigation, and that over the past few years a series of new steps have been taken to better serve the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Since 2023, Brattleboro Memorial has been working with the group Deaf Vermonters Advocacy Services to update policies, procedures, staff education and clinical practices, according to Pattison.
Pattison said the hospital now has an on-call, in-person interpreter program along with access to video remote interpreting services.
The settlement agreement also requires the hospital to establish a fund to compensate people who have been affected by the failure to provide appropriate communication services from 2018 through 2025.
“For the average person, going to the ER during a medical emergency is scary. Deaf individuals have the added stress and worry that they will not be able to communicate their symptoms, understand the doctor’s questions, or give consent because they do not have effective communication,” Deaf Vermonters Advocacy Services Director Rebecca Lalanne wrote in an email. “It is everyone’s hope that this agreement will change that experience and that BMH will assess and accommodate in accordance with the law.”
The U.S. attorney’s office will not pursue further legal action, according to the agreement.
Any person who visited the hospital and failed to receive appropriate services can contact the U.S. attorney’s office to fill out a civil rights complaint form.
“It is well settled under the ADA that patients have the right to effective communication in hospitals and doctors’ offices,” the Department of Justice press release said. “BMH has already taken steps to comply with its obligations under the ADA. And with the resolution agreement, BMH will timely provide qualified interpreters when necessary to ensure effective communication with patients and companions.”
UVM welcomes Adrian Dubois as new men’s soccer coach
Adrian Dubois answers questions from the media following his introductory press conference on Monday, Dec. 22.
Momo Nkugwa’s two free throws and TJ Hurley’s defensive block in the final 18 seconds of regulation allowed Vermont basketball to squeeze past Binghamton for a 60-59 America East Conference victory in front of 1,874 at Patrick Gym on Thursday, Jan. 8.
Nkugwa, a freshman, sank both attempts at the line with 18 seconds to play for a 60-59 advantage, and Hurley followed with a block in the paint to deny Binghamton’s Jeremiah Quigley’s layup attempt.
Despite Vermont’s second straight win to open conference play, coach John Becker said his team was fortunate to take the victory against a Binghamton ranked 362 out of 364 Division I teams in kenpom rating.
“Great to win a game you shouldn’t win. I thought Binghamton deserved to win the game with how we played,” Becker said.
Gus Yalden, who was limited with a calf injury, led Vermont (10-7, 2-0) with 15 points and five rebounds in 19-plus minutes. Sean Blake added nine points, while Nkugwa and Ben Michaels chipped in eight points apiece.
For Binghamton (4-13, 0-2), Quigley collected 21 points and 10 boards and Wes Peterson dropped 11 points. The visiting Bearcats owned a 36-31 margin at the break and led for the majority of the game, but shot just 26.9% from the floor in the second half.
“Obviously, not our best game. But a win is a win,” Hurley said. “Every game matters whether you win by one point or you win by 20. We are happy with the win, but we know we have to get better from this as well.”
Who’s next for Vermont basketball?
The Catamounts play host to Maine at Patrick Gym on Thursday, Jan. 15. It will be a rematch of last year’s America East semifinals, which Maine won to end Vermont’s three-year championship reign.
UVM women’s basketball falls at Binghamton
Yanniah Boyd’s layup with 8 seconds to play broke a tie and gave host Binghamton a 69-67 win over Vermont women’s basketball in an America East contest on Thursday, Jan. 8.
Binghamton (10-5, 2-0) rallied for the win with a 24-13 edge in the fourth quarter. The hosts also benefited from 21-for-25 effort at the foul line to Vermont’s 4-for-7 performance.
Bella Pucci’s 20 points and Boyd’s 16 paced the Bearcats.
For Vermont (13-5, 2-1), Malia Lenz recorded 21 points and nine rebounds, Nikola Priede tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Keira Hanson added 11 points and Emma Haan tossed in seven.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
How UVM hockey teams fared Jan. 9-10 — Schedule, scores, results
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