Written by Tanya Terry, with featured photo by Tanya Terry
The City of Flint announced they have successfully completed the replacement of all lead service lines as required by a federal settlement agreement, marking the final step in one of the city’s largest infrastructure projects. Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced this historic milestone at a press conference on Monday, August 3, stating that there are no active lead service lines remaining in Flint for the first time in generations.
The project involved inspecting more than 31,000 residential and commercial addresses. Where lead or galvanized service lines were found, they were replaced. At locations where property owners did not grant access or could not be located, the service lines were disconnected from the city’s water distribution system.
Lead service line replacement occurred on Friday, July 31 at 1039 Markham Street, with the last one at 2301 North Saginaw completed between 11 a.m. and noon that day. Final restoration work at construction-affected locations is expected to conclude in August.
The total cost for remediation efforts exceeded approximately one billion dollars, combining funds from municipal, county, state, and federal sources over more than a decade.
Entrice Mitchell, also known as “Jiggy,” the City’s sewer systems supervisor, expressed gratitude to Mayor Neeley, City Administrator Clyde Edwards, the administration, and team member Paul Simpson for their contributions to the project’s success. The State of Michigan and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy were also recognized as key partners.
Sherba Ward, public health manager for the City of Flint, stated the City will continue to support residents by providing water filtration systems and testing services. Residents can access this support Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at City Hall, the McKinley Community Center, or the Mays Senior Community Center.
Neeley stated the City plans to organize a full community celebration to commemorate the project’s completion and noted Flint continues to also serve as a mentor to other communities addressing similar lead service line issues.
