KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM/FM) — Homeowners in the city of Kalamazoo, who will have their local streets rebuilt this year, will also have their lead service lines replaced, if they have them, for free.
Commissioners will be asked Monday to approve a $659,000 contract with an excavating company to replace 177 lead service lines along streets that will be undergoing reconstruction this season. Replacing the water lines while the roads are already torn up saves money.
That will include homes in the Vine and Edison neighborhoods and on the south side.
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is recommending all lead service lines in the state be replaced. Kalamazoo’s water utility began to slowly accomplish that task years before the water crisis in Flint focused attention on the problems that lead pipes can cause if not properly treated.
Commissioners will also be asked to allocate around $500,000 from the Foundation for Excellence to expand the total number of lines they plan to replace this year from 300 to 411. If homeowners had to pay to have the work on their own, it could have cost $2,000 to $4,000, possibly more.
This work is in addition to lead pipe replacement efforts taking place in Kalamazoo Township, as the third year of a major street reconstruction effort in that community is underway.
