Livonia moves to expand lead-service-line replacements and amends contract with D'Angelo Brothers

City public works staff described an expanded program to identify and replace lead and galvanized water service lines under the EPA Lead and Copper Rule and requested council approval to amend the city's contract with D'Angelo Brothers.

Ryan Firth of the Department of Public Works said the city has 38,991 service lines and currently knows the material for 16,563 addresses. To date the city has replaced 97 lead service lines, has 157 confirmed lead lines that need replacement and still needs to identify the material for about 22,428 lines. The administration set a goal to identify and remove all red (lead) pipes from the system by the end of 2027. D'Angelo Brothers agreed to hold pricing through the end of 2027; staff said the average cost to replace a service line (including restoration) is approximately $7,500.

Council approved amending the FY2025 public-works budget allocation for this program from $410,000 to $1,750,000 (an increase of $1,340,000) and approved an additional $200,000 to cover emergency expenditures already incurred in 2024. Staff said the city will provide filters to affected residents immediately upon detection, complete replacements (about four hours per house, including exterior and basement work), and restore surfaces after work. Staff encouraged residents to use the "CheckYourPipesLivonia.org" online tool or schedule an appointment for an assessment.

Council members pressed staff on outreach and the speed of identification; staff reported more than 17,000 in-person inspections and over 1,000 online submissions since the initiative began in October, with roughly 3,000 records processed in the early weeks. The council approved the contract amendment and funding change on consent.