Highlighting Mayoral Action

This map spotlights mayors in the news speaking about lead pipes in their community and plans to replace them. Join them by making a commitment for your community!

In Benton Harbor, MI, the community-based organization Benton Harbor Solutions hosted a community-led radio show that shared information on city efforts to replace lead service lines in a non-traditional way to the community while simultaneously aiming to build trust between external entities and the community. For example, in November and December 2021, the EPA completed three separate water filtration studies to ensure the efficacy of the removal and reduction of lead in drinking water. Once the results were released in March 2022, Benton Harbor Solutions hosted EPA staff to convey the results effectively.

Milwaukee is one of the few cities in the country with a prioritization plan to ensure neighborhoods likely to suffer the most severe impacts from lead poisoning get their pipes replaced first. In consultation with a community-based group, Coalition for Lead Emergency (COLE), and following a public engagement process, Milwaukee included in an ordinance three indicators to prioritize where LSLs will be removed first:

  1. The area deprivation index (ADI), which is a compilation of social determinants of health
  2. The percentage of children found to have elevated lead levels in their blood when tested for lead poisoning
  3. The density of lead service lines in the neighborhood.

Read more here.