Northwest Wayne News

Detroit's Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) has significantly increased its lead service line replacement efforts, aiming to replace 8,000 per year, thanks to $85 million in grants from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE). This marks a substantial increase from the previous pace of 700 replacements annually.

The announcement was made during national Drinking Water Week by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, EGLE Director Phillip Roos, and DWSD Director Gary Brown. They highlighted the city’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program, which aims to replace all 80,000 lead lines within the next decade.

"What Gary Brown and the team at DWSD are doing to replace old lead service lines has made Detroit a national leader in this effort," said Mayor Duggan. "We are so grateful to have the strong support of Gov. Whitmer and State EGLE Director Phil Roos, which has allowed us to significantly accelerate our timeline and to hire more Detroiters to perform this work."

The funding for these efforts includes a $75 million EGLE grant using American Rescue Plan Act dollars, a $10 million state grant through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, a $5 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WIIN initiative, and funds from DWSD’s Capital Improvement Program.

“Since Governor Whitmer took office, the state has invested more than $958 million in lead service line removals and has implemented the strongest lead and copper rule in the country,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos.

In addition to replacing lead service lines, DWSD is also focused on creating opportunities for local residents by hiring contractors and city crews. The department is working with several contractors for these efforts including Five Star Energy Services based in Milwaukee and four other contractors two of which are based in Detroit.

Alongside contractor outreach initiatives, DWSD has established internal employee crews for lead service line replacement to reduce costs and provide more jobs for Detroiters. DWSD Director Brown highlighted that the department's workforce is 54 percent Detroit residents, with a team of 12 employees dedicated to lead service line replacements.

DWSD estimates there are 80,000 lead service lines in Detroit. The department has implemented a neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach to replace these lines, prioritizing areas based on housing density built prior to 1945, significant number of children and seniors in the area, and likely high number of low-income households based on Census tracts.

The water leaving Detroit water treatment plants does not contain lead, but lead can be released into drinking water from lead service lines and home plumbing as the water moves from the water mains to your tap. DWSD provides steps for residents to reduce their exposure to lead in their water including running the water for 3-5 minutes if it has gone unused for six hours or more, using only cold water for drinking and cooking, using a certified water filter, cleaning aerators monthly, and requesting a water quality test.