Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Sunday that more than 80 percent of Benton Harbor’s lead water service lines have been replaced with new copper lines, putting the project ahead of schedule.
The governor was in the city Sunday to inspect progress on the project. In a press release, Whitmer said that, to date, more than 3,600 water service lines have been replaced or verified as non-lead, leaving just under 900 to complete. Crews are averaging 15 line replacements per day.
“I am committed to implementing a whole-of-government approach to solve the challenges facing Benton Harbor,” Whitmer said in the release. “We must complete these critical upgrades to lead service lines as quickly as possible to ensure families have access to safe drinking water. We will not rest until every parent feels confident to give their kid a glass of water knowing that it is safe.”
The project dashboard, updated daily, includes a map of the remaining lead series lines. The project aims to have all replaced by March 2023.
Contact Kent at kfulmer@wvpe.org.
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