DULUTH — City residents fared remarkably well in a recent round of state funding for drinking water projects.

Duluth stands to receive nearly $62.8 million in state aid to replace lead water service lines — more than any other Minnesota city by a long shot. And it’s a sum that equates to more than one-quarter of all statewide spending in 30 communities, the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority, or MPFA, announced Tuesday.

Given the relatively old age of Duluth’s housing inventory, it should probably come as little surprise that the city is home to a lot of lead water lines. In fact, Duluth has the third-greatest number of lead water services of any city in the state — surpassed in scale only by Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Not only is the demonstrable local need for lead pipe replacement

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