Michigan's Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) requires communities to locate and prioritize eligible pipes for removal. It also lower the action limit for lead in drinking water.
Click here to learn more about Michigan's Lead and Copper rule.
What is Ann Arbor doing to meet the requirements of Michigan’s LCR?
- The Public Works Unit is doing a service line material inventory as part of the current water meter replacement project.
- A dashboard has been created for the public to review the service line inventory results.
- Ann Arbor's Water System Advisory Council was established in 2019.
How is Ann Arbor impacted by the LCR requirements?
- The LCR requires the city to complete a service line material inventory of all the public and privately owned water service lines.
- The city must verify the inventory results by 2025. This data will be used to determine which lines are eligible for replacement.
- As the LCR requires, replacements began in 2021, and we continue to replace lines at a rate of 5% per year.
- When possible, the city will coordinate service line replacements with water main and road projects to reduce road and service disruptions.
- The city will also replace leaking service lines as they are discovered.
Which service lines have been inventoried and require replacement?
- The inventory is nearly 80% complete, but we need your help to finish the work. The city is hoping to complete the inventory as soon as possible so we can better plan and schedule replacements.
- The city has created a dashboard that includes a map for the public to view information about their service line material.
- The inventory map shows:
- Service lines that have been replaced.
- Service lines that are eligible for replacement.
- Service lines that still require in-home verification
- Use the search function on the map to find your address and zoom into your address located within the map.
- If the circle isn't completely filled in, your line has not been inspected.
- If you haven't had your line inspected, please send an email to [email protected] with your address and contact information and staff will reach out to you.
- Residents will get a letter when their service line is scheduled for replacement. Please be patient and remember we are coordinating replacements with road projects, so we do not have a long-term detailed schedule.
- Since 2019, more than 330 water service lines have been replaced.
Why
would a line require replacement?
- Ann Arbor, like many communities, used to use a small piece of lead pipe to connect galvanized water service lines to the water mains. This is piece, known as a “gooseneck", was used on some service lines installed in the 1920's and between 1942 and 1945.
- All the known lead goosenecks have been removed. However, Michigan's Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) requires water systems to replace all galvanized service lines that used to be connected to those lead goosenecks.
lead gooseneck
Ann Arbor Water System Advisory Council
In 2019, Ann Arbor's Water System Advisory Council (WSAC) was formed to:
- Advise and assist with the creation of materials and outreach plans to educate our community. Efforts to focus on lead in drinking water and informing owners whose service lines may need replacement.
- Review public awareness campaign materials provided by the statewide drinking water advisory council.
- Provide guidance to the city on outreach to property owners whose service lines need replacement.
2023 Scheduled WSAC Meetings:
- October 17, 2023 at 8:30 am. Meeting will be held in person at Wheeler Service Center in Conference Room A.
Previous WSAC meeting minutes:
Members
- Jack Cederquist, Resident
- Jaclyn Bates, Washtenaw County Environmental Health Department
- Molly Maciejewski, City of Ann Arbor Public Works Manager
- Rebecca Lahr, City of Ann Arbor Drinking Water Quality Manager
- Daniel Brown, Huron River Watershed Council Director
- Lisa Wondrash, City of Ann Arbor Communications Director
- Chuanwu (Wu) Xi, Ph.D. Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Professor of Global Public Health U-M School of Public Health
Lead sampling
Ann Arbor is well positioned to implement recent changes to the LCR. We are one of the communities who have been consistently below the regulated action levels. Because of our low levels, the city is on a three year monitoring cycle. The city's
scheduled sampling for lead and copper is summer 2023. Specific results are
available in the city's annual drinking water quality report.
Free lead testing kits
The City of Ann Arbor offers one free lead test per household. You can also contact the Water Treatment Plant at 734.994.2840 to arrange pick-up of a testing kit. Kits may be picked up and dropped off during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. If you would like more than one test, each additional test is $25.
