City of Flint reaches 95%+ completion of lead service line replacement project

FLINT, Mich.— September 29, 2022

To date, the City of Flint has completed 27,428 water service line excavations, bringing the project above 95% completion. Service line checks and replacements are ongoing throughout the City of Flint and will continue through completion.

“This is great news and we’re making great strides,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “I’m so happy to announce that we’ve reached 95% completion and we’re moving forward beyond all of our challenges.”

The City has faced a series of challenges, from ongoing supply chain issues caused by the global pandemic, to multiple delays by city council, to a bad contractor. Nevertheless, Mayor Neeley says, the work continues to ensure that every resident in the City of Flint has safe water service lines.

Mayor Neeley urges residents to sign up to have their water service lines inspected and replaced.

“We are encouraging residents to respond to our requests for consent to excavate and replace their water service lines,” Mayor Neeley said. “According to the settlement with NRDC/Concerned Pastors, we can move on from those locations after making a number of attempts to contact the residents. But we don’t want to do that. We’re being very thorough, and right now, we have more than 95% of excavations completed.”

Mayor Neeley said that the City of Flint is working with state and federal funding partners to ensure that funds remain available for service line excavation and replacement.

“From the beginning of my administration, I’ve made it clear that this project is a top priority and the best strategy available for ensuring that our city has safe drinking water,” Mayor Neeley said. “We’ve overcome enormous obstacles and we are in a good place to protect water quality for all Flint residents.”

In addition to the lead service line replacement project, the City recently completed a secondary water delivery system, which the City of Flint is using right now in the aftermath of a massive water main failure on the Great Lakes Water Authority line.

“Under this administration, we were able to take this massive infrastructure project from start to finish, ensuring that today, the City of Flint has safe water during an ongoing water emergency in our region,” Mayor Neeley said.