Benton Harbor Accepting Bids to Replace Lead Water Pipes
November 29, 2021
Benton Harbor leaders announced that the city is accepting bids from contractors for an ambitious project to replace all lead water pipes no later than 2023 due to elevated levels of the toxic metal in the municipal supply.
Because the “action level” for lead has been exceeded, for three years, the estimated 2,800 service lines generally must be removed over 14 to 15 years under federal and state regulations. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer promised last month to spend millions of dollars to replace them in 18 months.
The City of Benton Harbor supplies water to a population of approximately 9,800 people.
The City of Benton Harbor’s water supply comes from Lake Michigan. The water plant has the capacity to treat up to 12 million gallons of water each day. Benton Harbor’s water distribution system is about 100 years old with much of the original infrastructure still in use, including water mains and service lines.
The replacement work will consist of replacing the estimated 4,000 lead service lines in the city by May 2023. It will involve replacing the lead service line from the city’s water main to the curb stop, the curb stop to the first shutoff valve in the home – 18” inside the home – or both. The lead or galvanized pipe lines will be replaced with copper lines.
