Benton Harbor marks key milestone in effort to replace lead water service lines

As of Wednesday, over 50%, or 2,200, lead water service lines in Benton Harbor have been replaced with copper lines or verified as lead-free, the state said.

"Crews have replaced 551 lead service lines with copper over the past 30 days and are currently averaging 18 lead service line replacements per day," the state said in a joint release from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. "Six contractors currently have 15 crews working throughout the city."

Drinking water lead levels in Benton Harbor, a majority-Black city of nearly 10,000 people, have exceeded federal and state standards since 2018. State and city officials have been criticized as being slow to respond to the public health crisis and warn residents about unsafe drinking water.

The water line replacement efforts began following an executive directive from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued last fall, calling for the replacement of all lead service lines in Benton Harbor by 2023. 

The Building Michigan Together Plan, signed by Whitmer in April, has provided $45 million for infrastructure improvements in Benton Harbor, the state said.

"The funding ensures the city will have resources to fully replace all service lines by the spring of 2023," the release said. 

City and state officials have previously tried treating Benton Harbor's lead water lines with a corrosion chemical blend and have given out water filters to households. Corrosion treatment has since been criticized by water quality experts and environmentalists as ineffective, while Benton Harbor residents have said not enough instruction was given regarding the water filters, which require proper installment and maintenance for effective use.

In the fall of 2021 Benton Harbor residents and environmental and civil rights groups filed an emergency petition seeking federal intervention from the Environmental Protection Agency, which criticized the city's handling of the public health crisis. The EPA continues to advise that Benton Harbor remain on bottled water for the foreseeable future, which the state health department began offering residents for free in September.

Water service line replacement agreement forms have to be completed by Benton Harbor residents to give contractors access to their property. To date, roughly 2,300 forms have been completed by water customers in Benton Harbor.

hmackay@detroitnews.com