In Startup, Washington, officials are pleased to have a fresh source of funding to tackle the town's asbestos issues.
Startup water commissioner Karen Eaton was becoming increasingly fearful of the health impact the deteriorating water pipes under the town could have.
The aging pipes are 50 years old, and in poor shape. Eaton described them to one journalist as crumbling, near collapse, and a threat to public health.
Miles of asbestos-cement pipes that deliver water to the tiny town are deteriorating "like wet cardboard," according to Ms. Eaton.
So news that the town will be receiving over $5 million to update the water pipes came as great news to Eaton and other town officials.
The Startup Water District will receive $5.1 million from the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water, which the town will use to update every water main in the system.
"We were thrilled," said Eaton, one of three water commissioners. "We've been working on this for months."
The water commissioners first realized the pipes were rotten after a series of waterline breaks. The tiny town was forced to pay out thousands to repair a series of breaks in the mains.
The fire department became reluctant to conduct training exercises, in fear of doing further damage to the water system.
But what was even more concerning was the knowledge that asbestos in the pipes could build up to dangerous levels, putting the town at risk.
Asbestos exposure is linked to medical conditions such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. Few studies related to asbestos exposure via drinking water are available, and the most common method of exposure is inhalation of airborne asbestos dust.
The entire project is expected to take about 2 years to complete.
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