If you live south of Saginaw Street in East Lansing, City workers may want to inspect your water services for lead.
East Lansing’s Department of Public Works recently sent out nearly 2800 letters to properties in the area, notifying homeowners they will be going door-to-door in the coming weeks.
Ron Lacasse, the Deputy Director of Public Works, said the letters are targeted at properties that do not have records of interior water service inspection by the city.
“We’re working diligently on the inventory process. And once we get further along... we’ll start scheduling replacements.”
The inventory process involves city staff locating where water services enter a home. Lacasse said services are usually found in basements or utility rooms. Staff can complete the inspection in around 15 minutes.
City workers will be wearing neon yellow vests and carrying proper identification. They have bright green door tags to leave at unattended residences.
Lacasse said the DPW will first focus on replacing service lines that coincide with other utility maintenance projects, at no cost to individual property owners.
“We’re making sure, if we're going to redo a street or the utilities, that we’re taking care of those water services at that time. So, we’re not having to excavate brand new roads.”
The service line replacements are part of a larger effort across Michigan to replace 100% of lead service lines by 2041. The State of Michigan requires all municipalities to have a complete water service pipe inventory by October 2024, as well as remove at least 5% of lead service lines per year.
To schedule an inspection, call 517-337-9459.You can see a map of affected areas here.