State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Flint mayor calls for the rapid replacement of city's lead service lines

The Washington Post: FLINT, Mich. — Flint Mayor Karen Weaver called Tuesday for immediate replacement of the lead service lines that run from water mains into the city’s homes, a large-scale repair effort that would eliminate one of the prime sources of lead that have poisoned this city’s water supply.

Weaver offered no cost estimate or source of funds for the project, but she touted an approach used in nearby Lansing over the past 11 years that does not require digging trenches. That city has spent $42 million, funded by water-rate increases, to replace 13,500 lead service lines, according to Randy Hannan, chief of staff to Lansing Mayor Virgil Bernero.

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