{"id":728445,"date":"2026-06-27T03:18:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T03:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/728445\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T03:18:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T03:18:12","slug":"25-metro-detroit-communities-exceeded-michigans-lead-action-level-for-drinking-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/728445\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Metro Detroit communities exceeded Michigan\u2019s lead action level for drinking water"},"content":{"rendered":"

Twenty-five Metro Detroit communities exceeded Michigan\u2019s lead action level for drinking water<\/a> since 2018, according to state compliance data analyzed by a drinking water engineer and reviewed by Planet Detroit.<\/p>\n

The communities all receive water treated by the Great Lakes Water Authority, or GLWA. Despite repeated exceedances, regulators have not required the distribution of water filters, something experts say is warranted.<\/p>\n

The data is submitted to the state by community water systems as part of compliance with Michigan\u2019s Lead and Copper Rule, which requires systems to identify and remove lead pipes and expand testing and transparency.<\/p>\n

When lead levels in Benton Harbor\u2019s drinking water were found to be high in 2018, it drew national attention. Residents petitioned the EPA to take action.<\/p>\n

Water experts say authorities need to learn the lessons of the lead crises in Flint and Benton Harbor and move more quickly to put public health first.<\/p>\n

Water systems that exceed the lead action level<\/a> are required to notify the public, conduct additional monitoring, and increase lead line replacements, which are tracked by Planet Detroit<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Water systems with lead level exceedances or other problems must test for lead every six months, while others are eligible for annual or triennial testing, according to Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) spokesperson Scott Dean. <\/p>\n

The rule requires requires action when the 90th percentile of all samples within a monitoring period show lead at more than 12 parts per billion<\/a> (ppb).<\/p>\n

The 90th percentile value indicates the level below which 90% of samples in a community fall.<\/p>\n

Michigan lowered its lead action level<\/a> from 15 ppb to 12 ppb in 2025. <\/p>\n

The Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s action level for drinking water is 15 ppb, higher than Michigan\u2019s 12 ppb. The federal action level is set to decrease to 10 ppb in 2027.<\/p>\n

Multiple Metro Detroit communities known to have lead service lines showed lead levels above state limits between 2018 and 2025.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Sign up for Morning Wire:
\n Our flagship newsletter breaks down the biggest headlines of the day.\n <\/p>\n

GLWA treats the source water that the systems receive with orthophosphate, a corrosion-control measure that minimizes the amount of lead released from lead service lines connecting some homes to water mains.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody who gets their water from the Great Lakes Water Authority has water that\u2019s treated the same way,\u201d said Elin Betanzo, a Michigan-based drinking water engineer.<\/p>\n

Not all the communities in GLWA\u2019s territory have lead service lines, but many do, creating what Betanzo called two classes of customers. One in four Metro Detroit households has a lead line and could be at risk, she said.<\/p>\n

State compliance data analyzed by Betanzo and reviewed by Planet Detroit showed that in 2025, GLWA communities were the only Michigan water systems with documented lead service lines exceeding the 12 ppb action level.<\/p>\n

GLWA increases corrosion control<\/p>\n

GLWA\u2019s source and finished water does not contain lead, Terry Daniel, deputy chief operating officer for water and field services for GLWA, said in a statement to Planet Detroit. <\/p>\n

In September 2024, GLWA announced<\/a> an increase in its orthophosphate dosage from 1.2 milligrams per liter to 2.4 mg\/L following a multiyear corrosion control study<\/a>, Daniel said. GLWA increased its use of orthophosphate between October 2024 and February 2025.<\/p>\n

The increased corrosion control is intended to provide greater protection and help member communities comply with Michigan\u2019s changing lead action levels and updates to the federal Lead and Copper Rule, Daniel said.<\/p>\n

EGLE evaluates and regulates GLWA\u2019s corrosion control, and the utility\u2019s decision to increase orthophosphate was made in consultation with the agency, said EGLE spokesperson Dean.<\/p>\n

Water utilities use corrosion control to build a protective layer inside pipes and prevent lead from detaching and entering the water, Danielle Land, a University of Iowa drinking water researcher, told Planet Detroit.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo long as the water quality and the water chemistry are consistent, we can kind of control what leaches out of the pipes,\u201d Land said. <\/p>\n

Effectiveness can decline as water is distributed across a region, influenced by changes in pH or temperature, she said.<\/p>\n

GLWA has five drinking water treatment plants<\/a> across its service area.<\/p>\n

Factors such as the age of pipes, the pipe material, and the level of abandonment in a neighborhood can impact the effectiveness of corrosion control, Land said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere could be neighborhoods where there\u2019s water sitting in the pipes for longer before it\u2019s being used, and I would expect, therefore, an increase in lead leaching,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The ongoing replacement of lead service lines itself can contribute to higher lead levels in the short term, Land said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we go in, and we dig up those lines \u2026 we\u2019ve physically disturbed that scaling and the minerals on the pipe,\u201d Land said, adding that it could take time for corrosion control to reestablish a protective layer over any remaining lead plumbing.<\/p>\n

Betanzo said that at the household level, water usage and the presence of lead fixtures influence how much lead comes out of the faucet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more water that passes through, the more corrosion control is in contact with those leaded materials,\u201d she said, adding that it\u2019s well documented that high water use leads to lower lead levels.<\/p>\n

GLWA study calls for higher treatment level<\/p>\n

A June 2024 report<\/a> commissioned by GLWA over lead concentrations stemming from lead service lines found orthophosphate levels of 3 mg\/L are optimal for reducing lead releases from lead service lines.<\/p>\n

The chemical system capacity at GLWA water treatment plants limits the dose to 2.4 mg\/L, according to engineering consulting firm Arcadis. The fact that some communities continued to have exceedances doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that orthophosphate levels above 2.4 mg\/L are needed systemwide, said GLWA\u2019s Daniel. He added that drinking water systems are taking relatively few samples, and more data are needed to determine whether there\u2019s a systemwide need to increase corrosion control.<\/p>\n

Lead and Copper Rule compliance can be influenced by a variety of local factors, including the utility\u2019s flushing program, the presence of lead pipes, and lead in home plumbing and fixtures, he said. <\/p>\n

The design, bidding, construction, and commissioning of capital improvements at GLWA water plants to reach the 3 mg\/L corrosion control level could take 5-10 years, the Arcadis study said.<\/p>\n

By that time, most or all lead service lines may be removed from the distribution systems of member communities, the report said.<\/p>\n

Daniel said that, because community water sampling occurs throughout the year, GLWA hasn\u2019t completed the review necessary to determine whether it will make the capital system improvements needed to increase corrosion control to 3 mg\/L. <\/p>\n

Betanzo said there are very few opportunities for communities to influence water quality after it leaves the treatment plant. All the exceedances were found in communities with lead service lines, not those that only have lead plumbing and fixtures, she said.<\/p>\n

Immediate action needed to address lead, expert says<\/p>\n

Although GLWA increased corrosion control dosing between October 2024 and February 2025, eight GLWA communities continued to show exceedances in data reported at the end of 2025.<\/p>\n

Cyndi Roper, an advocate with the Natural Resources Defense Council\u2019s Safe Water Initiative, said more immediate action is needed. She is calling for the distribution of water filters in communities with elevated lead levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere should be an all-hands-on-deck response to educating people about the fact that there is lead in their drinking water,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

GLWA declined to say whether it would help supply water filters or conduct outreach in communities with lead level exceedances. <\/p>\n

\u201cEach community is responsible for managing and maintaining its local system,\u201d the utility said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Lead is a neurotoxin with no safe exposure level. Small amounts can cause learning, behavior, and long-term health problems, with infants, children, and pregnant people facing the greatest risk. Long-term exposure is associated with hypertension, decreased kidney function, and increased risk of heart disease.<\/p>\n

Betanzo said residents need to know what steps they can take to protect themselves from lead exposure \u2014 and that anyone with a lead service line should use a water filter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe messaging continues to come out that it\u2019s isolated, it\u2019s in a few communities, a few homes,\u201d Betanzo said. \u201cThat\u2019s not what\u2019s happening here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The state recommends<\/a> that Michigan households use a certified, lead-reducing drinking water filter if your home has or if you are uncertain whether it has one of the following: lead or galvanized plumbing, a lead service line, or old faucets and fittings sold before 2014.<\/p>\n

Eligible households can apply for Michigan\u2019s filter support program<\/a>. Households are eligible if they have a child under 19 on Medicaid or a pregnant Medicaid enrollee, and has \u2014 or may have \u2014 lead plumbing.<\/p>\n

Closer look at Melvindale, Hamtramck, Garden City<\/p>\n

In 2019, Melvindale collected samples from 30 sites with known lead service lines, out of approximately 3,828 water customers. The 90th percentile lead level for the sampling set was 370 ppb, indicating that 90% of the data points are smaller and 10% are larger. Nine of the 30 individual tested sites exceeded action levels, the city said in its notification<\/a> to residents.<\/p>\n

The city has an estimated 500 lead service lines and 100 composed of unknown material. Replacements are ongoing, and the city\u2019s 90th percentile lead level dropped to 4 ppb in 2024, according to the city\u2019s water quality report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Melvindale reported a 90th percentile lead level of 1 ppb.<\/p>\n

In Hamtramck, the 90th percentile lead level reached 28 ppb in 2018.<\/p>\n

Hamtramck has 605 lead service lines and nearly 8,000 lines of unknown material, according to the city\u2019s 2024 water quality report<\/a>. The city replaced 790 lead lines in 2024.<\/p>\n

The city reported a 90th percentile lead level of 13 ppb in 2025, exceeding the state threshold.<\/p>\n

Water officials from Hamtramck and Melvindale did not respond to Planet Detroit\u2019s requests for comment regarding the cities\u2019 reported lead levels. <\/p>\n

Garden City reported a 90th percentile lead level of 26 ppb in 2019, and additional exceedances of 18 ppb in 2024 and 15 ppb in 2025.<\/p>\n

The city collected samples from 62 homes in 2025, and 13 exceeded<\/a> the 12 ppb level.<\/p>\n

The city is working to replace known lead lines as quickly as possible, said Brad Ohman, director of the Garden City Department of Public Works.<\/p>\n

Of Garden City\u2019s more than 11,600 service lines, 142 are known lead, and 352 are of unknown material, Ohman said. The city distributed filters in 2019 and has since referred residents to the Wayne County Health Department. EGLE and HUD grants are funding the removal of lead lines.<\/p>\n

A statement<\/a> on the city\u2019s webpage says it has been \u201cvery proactive in the replacement of all lead service lines within the city, replacing 424 lines since 2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Lead release is sporadic\u2019<\/p>\n

Small changes in lead numbers from year to year may not signify much, Betanzo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cLead release is sporadic,\u201d she said. \u201cEven at a home where there\u2019s a high risk of lead in the water, we\u2019re not always going to get that high lead result in the individual sample.\u201d<\/p>\n

It would likely require many more samples than are required to comply with Michigan\u2019s rule to reach a statistically significant conclusion about a community\u2019s risk, she said.<\/p>\n

For example, Detroit\u2019s 90th percentile lead level fell from 13 ppb in 2024 to 8 ppb in 2025, which could be a result of GLWA increasing corrosion control, Betanzo said. <\/p>\n

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) is required to take 50 lead samples a year, she said. The city has over 80,000 known lead lines<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Puzzling\u2019 why more isn\u2019t being done to address lead, expert says<\/p>\n

Waiting for a utility to deploy more effective corrosion control to reduce the risk posed by lead service lines is a long-term process, Betanzo said.<\/p>\n

Starting in 2021, Michigan mandated that communities replace lead service lines<\/a> within 20 years. Progress varies by water system, and many are behind on meeting reporting requirements, Planet Detroit previously reported<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Beginning in 2027, water systems must replace lead pipes within 10 years, according to federal Lead and Copper rule revisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the key gaps in the Safe Drinking Water Act is that it never really requires public water systems to take direct interventions, even if they have prolonged levels of lead,\u201d said Nick Leonard, executive director at the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center.<\/p>\n

The initial response to the lead drinking water crises in Flint and Benton Harbor focused on the lengthy process of lowering lead levels, but water systems aren\u2019t compelled to do much to protect residents in the short term, Leonard said.<\/p>\n

EGLE\u2019s Dean said that communities with lead action-level exceedances must notify the public and are subject to an increased monitoring schedule.<\/p>\n

Water suppliers are federally required to notify everyone they serve within 24 hours once an exceedance is confirmed. <\/p>\n

\u201cResidents of communities that have had exceedances have received lead public education documents at every service connection,\u201d Dean said.<\/p>\n

Communities with exceedances that treat their water and have lead service lines are required to increase the state-mandated annual replacement rate for lead service lines from 5% to 7%, the EGLE spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCurrently, there are no requirements for water supplies to provide filters,\u201d Dean said when asked about GLWA communities. <\/p>\n

Changes<\/a> to the federal Lead and Copper Rule set to take effect after Nov. 1, 2027 will require communities with three or more exceedances in a five-year period to offer filters to customers.<\/p>\n

Roper, with NRDC, said utilities with exceedances should go door-to-door distributing water filters and educational materials, echoing statements from other experts who emphasize the need to distribute filters as soon as possible. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is puzzling why this continues to happen, and why there hasn\u2019t been a more expansive response from EGLE on what is going on in GLWA communities,\u201d Roper said. <\/p>\n

The scenario parallels roadblocks advocates faced in Benton Harbor when trying to spur action<\/a> from regulators, who were focused on adjusting corrosion control, she said. West Michigan\u2019s Benton Harbor, which is not part of GLWA, reported a 90th percentile lead level as high as 32 ppb<\/a> in 2019, prompting drinking water advocates to successfully petition<\/a> the EPA to intervene in 2021.<\/p>\n

Benton Harbor\u2019s water exceeded 20 ppb for several<\/a>years<\/a> in a row.<\/p>\n

Detroit, Wayne tout progress on lead service line replacement<\/p>\n

DWSD has replaced 16,000 lead service lines since 2018 and plans to replace 3,500 this year, Sam Smalley, the department\u2019s deputy director, said.<\/p>\n

In addition to the city\u2019s required lead testing, DWSD offers free water quality testing<\/a> to all residents with lead service lines.<\/p>\n

If a test result exceeds the action level, DWSD provides residents with flushing instructions and an NSF-53-certified water filter<\/a> designed to remove lead, Smalley said.<\/p>\n

DWSD works with the Detroit Health Department to provide blood lead level testing for children under 6, he said. <\/p>\n

If a child has an elevated blood lead level and there is a lead service line at the home, DWSD coordinates with the health department to remove the line, Smalley said.<\/p>\n

The cause of the elevated blood lead level is usually lead paint, not exposure through drinking water, he said. <\/p>\n

The city of Wayne has reported multiple lead exceedances, most recently in 2023, when it notified residents of a 90th percentile lead level of 16 ppb.<\/p>\n

Dave Schmidt, assistant director of the city\u2019s Department of Public Works, said Wayne has removed all known lead service lines as of 2025. On Dec. 31, 2025, Wayne\u2019s 90th percentile lead level was 7 ppb \u2014 in compliance. <\/p>\n

The city received support for its lead line removal from EGLE and EPA grants, Schmidt said.<\/p>\n

Wayne is removing galvanized lines that may have been hooked up to lead material, he said.<\/p>\n

The city distributed filters to residents around 2020, he said.<\/p>\n

Water utilities challenge more stringent lead standards<\/p>\n

The final EPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements issued in 2024<\/a> lowers the lead action level to 10 ppb beginning in late 2027.<\/p>\n

In 2025, the American Water Works Association, which represents thousands of utilities, GLWA employees, and employees of other Michigan water systems, sued<\/a> the EPA over the revised rule.<\/p>\n

The AWWA argues the rule is \u201cneither feasible nor cost-effective\u201d and, as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, will impact water system compliance and affordability.<\/p>\n

GLWA confirmed to Planet Detroit that it\u2019s an AWWA member. When asked whether the utility supports the lawsuit targeting stricter EPA lead rules, a spokesperson said the lawsuit doesn\u2019t apply to GLWA because it doesn\u2019t have lead in its pipes.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Planet Detroit<\/a> and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Twenty-five Metro Detroit communities exceeded Michigan\u2019s lead action level for drinking water since 2018, according to state compliance…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":434098,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[313206,313211,1687,1685,313212,2120,313207,192,793,97,851,163164,1305,1303,97992,313208,79,313210,313209,6664,795,11141],"class_list":["post-728445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-american-water-works-co","tag-brad-ohman","tag-climate","tag-climate-and-environment","tag-dave-schmidt","tag-detroit","tag-elin-betanzo","tag-environment","tag-general-news","tag-health","tag-inc","tag-industry-regulation","tag-mi-state-wire","tag-michigan","tag-natural-resources-defense-council","tag-sam-smalley","tag-science","tag-scott-dean","tag-terry-daniel","tag-u-s-environmental-protection-agency","tag-u-s-news","tag-water-quality"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=728445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/728445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=728445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=728445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=728445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}