Kalamazoo & You - Lead Service Line Replacement, Pt. 2
In this Kalamazoo & You segment, Assistant City Engineer for Water Resources Anna Crandall explains the process, logistics, and public health importance of replacing aging lead service lines throughout the city.
Filmed on Kalamazoo Court, Crandall describes a unique project involving three homes previously served by a single lead line. She explains, “there’s an existing lead service line that feeds three houses down this narrow court, and so we’re doing a combined service replacement across Kalamazoo to a vault, and then individual service lines to each of the three houses here.”
The segment walks viewers through the replacement process, which includes coordinating access with homeowners, temporarily shutting off water service, excavating existing lines, and installing new copper infrastructure. Crandall notes that “Typical water shutdown time could range from a half hour to up to eight hours in the shift.” Depending on the site conditions, crews may use horizontal directional drilling or specialized pipe-pulling techniques to minimize disruption.
Crandall emphasizes the health risks associated with aging lead pipes, explaining that “lead is a health-based concern.” While lead pipes themselves are not immediately hazardous, “lead has the ability to corrode and dissolve into the water.” She acknowledges that construction and traffic impacts can be frustrating but says “it is important to get this work done. It’s protecting folks’ health and making sure that we’re providing safe drinking water to folks and getting the lead pipes removed from our system.”
The interview also highlights the financial benefit to homeowners. Crandall explains that replacing a water service line independently “would be upwards of $10,000,” but under Kalamazoo’s program, “the system is paying for” the replacement work.
During a site walkthrough, Crandall shows newly installed copper lines, a vault containing meter manifolds, and the abandoned lead pipe that once served the court. She explains that crews are completing full replacements “from the water main into the customers’ houses,” restoring sidewalks and landscaping afterward, and working to keep residents without water for only a few hours before moving on to the next project site.
Find out more in part one of this two episode installment of Kalamazoo & You.
00:00 Introduction
00:00:17 Introduction to Lead Service Line Replacement
00:00:28 Explanation of Service Replacement Process
00:00:55 Water Shutdown and Service Line Replacement Methods
00:01:34 Importance and Impact of Replacing Lead Pipes
00:02:10 Contractor Work and Homeowner Benefits
00:03:00 On-Site Details and Project Execution
