PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The city of Kalamazoo is spending tens of millions of dollars, tearing up whole neighborhoods to replace lead water lines, the kind that caused so many problems in Flint.
That hasn’t been the story in Portage, where many homes were built after they banned the use of lead pipes 40 years ago. This week the Portage City Council approved spending $140,000 dollars to find out if they have lead pipes, too.
Utilities Director Kendra Gwin says the state had required it be done by the end of this year, but the federal government has now set an earlier deadline.
Gwin says they have about 4,400 homes where the kind of line running from the main to the water meters in basements is a mystery.
Gwin says if the city is also required to replace any lead lines they find, it will be the city’s responsibility to find the money because their system extends to the water meter.
Portage City Manager Patrick McGinnis says its precautionary as they have never had any water tests showing unsafe levels of lead.
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