What you need to know about Lead Service Line Replacement in Benton Harbor

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On June 4, 2022 Petitioner Elin Betanzo of Safe Water Engineering, LLC gave a presentation to

community members describing the lead service line replacement process and how contractors should

be completing work in Benton Harbor. The slides from that presentation are presented here. If you are

out in the neighborhood and you see contractors completing lead service line replacements, use this

checklist to see if they are completing all the required steps.

Over the past year we’ve heard a lot about the lead in the water in Benton Harbor, but lead isn’t our only drinking water problem. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has found significant deficiencies at our water treatment plant for years. Many of these violations only became public after the Benton Harbor Community Water Council filed the lead petition in September 2021. Residents finally received notice about several Safe Drinking Water Act violations, some beginning as early as 2010, in our 2021 Water Quality Report that was mailed to all customers in June. The following presentation helps to explain the water quality violations, challenges, and risks to residents in Benton Harbor.