Overview:

- In 2024, several Metro Detroit water systems in Michigan surpassed the state's former lead limit of 15 parts per billion.
- More systems, including Detroit, would have failed under the new 12 ppb standard that took effect in January.
- Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Congress aim to repeal Biden's lead regulations via the Congressional Review Act, potentially barring federal mandates on lead service line replacement or stricter lead limits in water.
-Lead exposure is a well-documented public health crisis disproportionately affectinglow-income communities. It can lead to lowered IQs and increased crime.

Several Metro Detroit water systems exceeded Michigan’s previous drinking water lead limit of 15 parts per billion in 2024, risking lead exposure in thousands across the region. Even more would have failed under the new 12 ppb standard that took effect in January. 

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Congress are working to repeal the Biden administration’s lead regulations through the Congressional Review Act, which could prohibit the federal government from ever mandating lead service line replacement or lowering lead limits in water.

While most state water systems meet the standard, many are close to or above the new lead limit. More than 1.2 million Michigan residents, approximately 12% of the state’s total population, live in communities whose samples would exceed the latest standards. 

The latest lead results from Michigan water systems reveal that several communities in the tri-county region already exceed the existing lead action level of 15 ppb for the 90th percentile of samples, while others hover close to the upcoming 12 ppb threshold.

According to state data:

  • Five public water systems – Redford Township, Livonia, Garden City, Riverview, and the Shorewood Hills Subdivision in Bloomfield Township recorded lead exceedances in 2024, affecting a combined population of over 186,000 residents.
  • Detroit Water & Sewerage Department reported a 90th percentile lead level of 13 ppb—within compliance for 2024 but above Michigan’s new 12 ppb threshold for 2025.
  • Other water systems in Metro Detroit, while technically compliant now, would exceed the new standard had it been in effect during their last testing cycle. Those include Harper Woods, with a 15 ppb lead level, and Warren, with a 14 ppb lead level. Other communities exceeding the 12 ppb threshold in Metro Detroit include Dearborn, Inkster, Taylor, and Wayne.
  • The total number of people living in Metro Detroit communities served by water systems with lead levels exceeding the new standard of 12 ppb is 1.2 million.

Under state law, communities with high lead levels must increase testing, educate the public, and improve water treatment to reduce lead risks.

Detroit and GLWA’s response to tightening lead regulations

In response to tighter standards, the Great Lakes Water Authority, which operates the region’s drinking treatment system, has implemented measures to reduce lead exposure by increasing the amount of orthophosphate added to the system’s drinking water. GLWA started increasing orthophosphate levels in October 2024, aiming to double them by February 2025.

Orthophosphate reduces corrosion by coating the interior of pipes, which prevents metals like lead, iron, and copper from mixing into the water. GLWA has been using orthophosphate to prevent pipe corrosion since 1996.

Meanwhile, communities across the state are working to remove and replace lead service lines completely.

“We are taking action to make sure Detroit remains a national leader in delivering high-quality water to our residents,” Bryan Peckinpaugh, public affairs director for DWSD, told Planet Detroit. He said the department has replaced more than 8,000 lead service lines in the past 14 months, a dramatic increase from past years. 

The work is partly funded by a $90 million federal grant, which Peckinpaugh said has been entirely programmed and contracted but not entirely disbursed by the federal government, which is actively freezing grants. He said the grant to replace lead pipes is not frozen, and the $90 million in funding is programmed and contracted.

“We are confident we will receive the remainder of the reimbursements given the work is nearly complete,” Peckinpaugh said. “We continue seeking additional funding from state and federal agencies to continue our accelerated pace of lead service line replacements.”

In the meantime, Peckinpaugh said the city has programmed $30 million in DWSD capital funds to add 3,500 lead service line replacements and “keep the contractors moving along to our intended pace.” 

learn more

Federal rules face political pushback, risking lead exposure

New federal requirements enacted under the Biden-Harris administration mandate that all lead service lines be removed within the next decade. The effort is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which allocates more than $50 billion for clean water projects, prioritizing disadvantaged communities.

Michigan’s 2018 Lead and Copper Rule already requires all lead pipes to be replaced by 2041, but the federal mandate accelerates that deadline. Water systems that exceed action levels must take additional steps, including speeding up the lead service line replacement rate. 

However, Republican lawmakers in Congress, backed by the Trump administration, are working to repeal the Biden administration’s lead regulations through the Congressional Review Act. The move would not only undo the current rules but could permanently prohibit the federal government from ever requiring lead service line replacement or further lowering lead limits in drinking water.

The effort has drawn sharp criticism from environmental and public health advocates. Lead exposure is a well-documented public health crisis, with the EPA estimating that stricter limits could prevent up to 900,000 infants from having low birth weight, save 200,000 IQ points in children, and avoid up to 1,500 premature deaths annually from heart disease. Environmental groups warn that repealing these rules would leave millions vulnerable to lead-contaminated drinking water, particularly children.

The Trump administration is “saying let them drink lead,” Erik Olson, senior adviser to the NRDC Action Fund, told The Guardian. “It’s a bad look to support lead poisoning children,” Olson added. “Not the best foot forward for the new Congress.”

In December, the American Water Works Association sued the Biden administration over its lead pipe removal rule, arguing that utilities lack the necessary funding to meet the 2037 replacement deadline. The water utility and chemical industries have argued that compliance costs—estimated at $90 billion—are too high.

However, environmental groups dispute this figure, claiming industry consultants have inflated cost estimates to justify opposition. They also point out the cost of lead exposure, which the National Institute of Health estimates to be in the hundreds of billions.

You can view the lead sampling results for your water system here:

Sign me up for Planet Detroit’s free weekly email newsletter

Give us your email, and we’ll give you our award-winning free weekly email newsletter on Fridays

Nina Misuraca Ignaczak is an award-winning Metro Detroit-based editor, journalist, and documentary filmmaker. She is the founder, publisher, and editor of Planet Detroit, a digital media startup focused on producing quality climate, health, and environment journalism that holds power accountable, and spotlights solutions. Planet Detroit has received awards and recognition from the Society for Professional Journalists Detroit, the Institute for Nonprofit News, and LION Publishers since its establishment in 2019. Prior to her journalism career, Nina worked in urban planning in local government and nonprofit sectors, holding a Master of Science in Natural Resource Ecology and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.