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DOWAGIAC — The City of Dowagiac is making progress in its efforts to identify and plan to replace lead service lines throughout the community. 

Working with State and Federal agencies, the city is building an inventory of its lead service lines and developing a plan to replace them. Lead was banned in service lines and household plumbing in the mid-1980s and hundreds of communities nationwide have efforts underway to replace them. 

Dowagiac is one of five communities in West Michigan – Allegan, Ionia, Saugatuck Township and Vicksburg being the others – that have recently received grants to help with efforts to abate lead in their water service lines, a problem that impacts hundreds of cities nationwide. The EPA estimates that there are currently more than 9 million lead service lines in the US.

While the most recent Water Quality Report for the city showed that samples collected from the water treatment plant aligned with USEPA and State standards, with lead readings below their action levels, the last two bi-yearly tests of water in a small sample of homes – where the water has gone through service lines and internal household plumbing – came back with readings of 18 parts per billion (ppb), which is just over the Action Alert level of 15 ppb. 

The City is currently using two build a lead service line inventory: 

• Members of Dowagiac’s lead abatement team will be knocking on doors throughout the community Sept. 4-7, requesting brief access to homes to identify the service line materials inside the home. 
• Dowagiac water customers are strongly encouraged to complete a short self-identification survey about the service line materials in their home. There’s a link to the homepage of the City website.

Assistant City Manager Amanda Sleigh said there are three things all Dowagiac customers should know about their water:

1. There is no lead in the water supply.

“That’s been verified, and details can be found in the Water Quality Report on our website,” she said. 

       2. Not every home is impacted by the current lead Action Alert. 

“That was issued based on testing in-home samples of water that had been through service lines and internal household plumbing,” Sleigh said. “Clearly, many of the homes in our community were built before the 1980’s lead ban, and we’re one of hundreds of communities working diligently to update our infrastructure.”

      3. The best way to eliminate unknowns is to use a filter and stay educated about the best ways to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. 

“That includes simple things like cleaning your faucet aerators regularly,” she said. “There’s a wealth of information, including how to access free filter pitchers, on the City website.”

Dowagiac water customers who would like to schedule an appointment to check their service line can call (269) 782-8200 and customer service can help schedule an appointment. Customers who complete the self-identification survey by Oct. 1, 2024, will receive a $5 rebate on their water bill.