Muskegon outlines plan, timeline and funding for lead service line replacements

Dan Vanderheide, director of public works for the City of Muskegon, told commissioners Monday that the city will systematically replace lead water service lines across the city using a mix of contractor-led neighborhood projects and targeted city work.

Muskegon’s water “is safe,” Vanderheide said, adding the city “has never exceeded the levels authorized by the EPA or the State Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.” He said occasional tests show small amounts of lead but always below levels the EPA considers dangerous. Still, Vanderheide said, “no amount of lead in the water is a good thing,” and the city must act under state and federal rules.

The presentation explained how work is paid for: the city applies to the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) for 20-year loans, sometimes with partial principal forgiveness or grants. Vanderheide said the most recent offer from the state included roughly 25% principal forgiveness; the remainder is paid from the water system’s revenues and, ultimately, rates. He warned that if grant/forgiveness levels decline “100% of the cost of these improvements … will fall on the citizens.”

Why it matters: replacing service lines removes a potential source of lead exposure and is part of federal and state compliance timelines. Vanderheide said the city is required to replace the entire service line to the meter, even though the city does not own the private portion inside homes, and that contractors will need access to basements or crawl spaces to complete most of the work.

Key details from the presentation and Q&A: • What will be replaced: the city will replace the lead portion of the service line and the service line to the water meter; the city will not replace private plumbing inside a home. Vanderheide: “When we talk about replacing the service line, we’re talking about a new tap into the water main, a new service line all the way through to the basement or crawl space … and in almost all cases, even a new meter.” • Homeowner access: property owners will receive a notice and an authorization form permitting city staff and contractors to enter the home; the city’s website includes a flyer, FAQ and a GIS map showing known service‑line materials at mkgcity.com/lslr. • Inventory and map: Vanderheide demonstrated a publicly accessible map that classifies addresses green (replaced or never lead), red (believed to contain lead) or yellow (previously connected to lead materials). He said the city can only change a record from red/yellow to green after contractors submit documentation required by the state proving a lead line was replaced. • Funding and timeline: the city uses the DWSRF program with loan terms of 20 years. Vanderheide said recent offers included about 25% principal forgiveness; if forgiveness trends downward the utility will need to raise rates to cover costs. He said, given current funding, the city expects to finish “toward the middle of the next decade, 2035 or so,” and noted a federal rule that currently obligates completion by 2037 and a state rule setting 2040 as a deadline. • Work logistics: most replacement work is done with limited yard excavation; contractors will need access to meters in basements or crawl spaces and, depending on weather, final surface restoration may be deferred until spring.

Commissioners pressed staff on communications and sequencing. Commissioner Cochin thanked Vanderheide for neighborhood outreach and asked about letters; Vanderheide said the city sent an informational letter in October and will send a second, project‑specific notice when a property is scheduled. Commissioner German and others asked about the state database (EGLE), and Vanderheide confirmed the city provides the inventory required by the state.

Vanderheide urged residents with children who have elevated blood‑lead tests to contact the city’s Community & Neighborhood Services (CNS) department; he also highlighted a separate Healthy Homes grant the city secured to address housing‑related health hazards countywide.

Ending: Vanderheide asked residents to check the city’s LSLR web pages for the map and resources and to call DPW with questions; he said the project will continue as funding allows and that commission advocacy for continued state/federal grant support helps reduce rate impacts.