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Port Huron officials outline lead service-line notifications and five-year replacement plan
Summary
City staff described required notice procedures for lead service lines, the expected five-year replacement timeline and the expected local costs to comply with state rules.
City staff told the council they are legally required to notify property owners when a water service line is identified as lead, and outlined a five-year replacement plan that will proceed as funding allows.
In response to a public comment from resident Angela Kelly about receiving a second notice and wanting more information, city staff explained that under state regulations (EGLE) the city must survey service lines and notify owners when a private service line is identified as lead. City staff said the notices inform owners the private portion of the service line is lead, that the city tests 33 distribution sites monthly and that detection in city samples is not the same as detecting lead in an individual household. The city said it will replace lead service lines methodically over the next five years but cautioned the total local cost of replacing private-side lead service lines could be between $15 million and $20 million, and that the state mandate provides no direct replacement funding.
Staff emphasized the replacement program will continue and that property owners will receive notices; renters may not always receive notices directly and the city said it will work to ensure tenant notification when possible. No new funding source was approved during the meeting; officials urged property owners with concerns to contact the city for more information.
