DETROIT – Detroit is taking a proactive measure as multiple Michigan communities face lead water issues.
Several cities in Michigan have reported lead in their drinking water. Recent situations have involved Hamtramck and Benton Harbor.
Palencia Mobley is the Deputy Director and Chief Engineer with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.
Read: How much money is needed to combat elevated lead levels in Michigan communities?
Mobley said the partnership will allow them to determine the lead service line inventory in Detroit. Mobley expects the partnership will allow them to meet state regulations at a reasonable cost.
“Michigan has the most stringent lead and copper rule in the country. That rule requires for public utilities to replace all lead service lines going into a property from water main, all the way up into the property,” Mobley said.
Mobley said the partnership will save Detroit around $165 million. Eric Schwartz, with BlueConduit, said they can effectively and quickly identify lead service line locations.
“The way we’re going to be able to do that is by collaborating with the city, with the department, and gathering data, and making recommendations of which homes, which blocks in neighborhoods to go to. To inspect and ultimately replace that lead. So, we’re going to do our absolute best to use all of the data science, data machine learning, expertise and software. That we have developed it to aim and reduce the time that Detroit residents are living with lead,” Schwartz said.