Infrastructure Improvements Now Underway in Morningside
Many of our older homes in Morningside, just like those in Flint, Benton Harbor, Eastpointe and elsewhere, get our drinking water delivered through pipes made from lead. Thanks to a new program of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), over 500 neighborhood houses will soon have their lead service lines replaced.
In May of 2023, DWSD began a neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach to replacing lead service lines. Neighborhoods are being prioritized if they have a density of housing built prior to 1945, have a significant number of children and/or seniors in the area, and are primarily low-income households based on Census data. Lead service line replacement includes replacing the lead line with a new copper pipe from the City’s water main (located in the street) into the resident’s house to the water meter. There is no cost to the customer for this work!
The DWSD contractor started exploratory digging in late January on four streets in Morningside:
Balfour between Mack and Warren
Chatsworth between Mack and Warren
Berkshire between Mack and Warren
Buckingham between Mack and Warren
Exploratory digging requires the contractor to dig a small hole in the front yard to verify if each house has a lead service line. Later, the contractor will leave a door hanger notice for the resident to call and schedule a lead service line replacement appointment. If it’s confirmed that the resident has a lead service line, they will receive a free water pitcher and filters as a precaution.
Actual service line replacements are scheduled to begin in April or May. The contractor will make an appointment with each property owner to enter their home and complete the replacement process. Someone over age 18 must be present during the 2 hours work is being done.
Lawns such as this one on Chastworth has been mulched and the sidewalk has been fully replaced. Image courtesy of Jeffrey D. Lewis II
When all homes in the neighborhood are finished, any lawns damaged in the process will be seeded and mulched. Sidewalk sections will also be replaced if necessary.
A zoom community meeting was held on February 1 for the streets within the project limits. Door hanger packets containing detailed project information were distributed about a week prior to that meeting. For more information on this Lead Service Line Replacement Program and to see a complete list of streets currently scheduled across the city, please visit www.detroitmi.gov/lslr. The DWSD phone number for more information is (313) 880-2812.
Morningside is truly blessed to be one of the first neighborhoods receiving water line upgrades. The value of this improvement is over $10,000 per house. Although it is unknown at this time when the remainder of our community will experience this benefit, the State of Michigan is requiring each city to replace all lead lines by 2040.
