How GIS Can Improve Your Lead Service Line Inventory and Capture Project Funding
Lead is present in municipal water pipes throughout New York and the entire country, but technology is making safe water possible faster.
Lead was commonly used in municipal infrastructure for over a century, up until the mid-1980s. Today, towns like yours may have a difficult time locating all of the underground lead service lines that have not been properly recorded for decades. With the passage of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), municipalities in New York are required to complete an inventory of all public service line materials by October 16, 2024. This inventory is the first step in eliminating all lead services.
Although conducting this inventory is a daunting task, it is also necessary to prevent lead poisoning on a mass scale, as in the case of Flint, Michigan, in 2014. Notably, Michigan has been at the forefront of lead mitigation efforts since the Flint Water Crisis received national attention. Michigan also incentivized asset management planning with the SAW program (more on this later), leading to dozens of Michigan communities developing their own inventories.
As a New York- and Michigan-based engineering firm, C2AE is bringing years of lessons learned in Michigan to municipalities now required to complete similar inventories in New York. The game-changing tool C2AE recommends most often is geographic information system (GIS) technology, which can make record-keeping for lead service line inventories simpler and more dynamic.
According to Esri, the software company that powers ArcGIS, a GIS is “a system that creates, manages, analyzes, and maps all types of data. GIS connects data to a map, integrating location data (where things are) with all types of descriptive information (what things are)… GIS helps users understand patterns, relationships, and geographic context.”
Case Study: Inventorying Lead Services in Escanaba, Michigan
The City of Escanaba is a rural community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with a population of around 12,400 people. At 4,500 lead service lines, this city has one of the highest rates of lead service lines per capita of any municipality in Michigan. Over 90 percent of the city’s waterlines were impacted, although lead contamination was below harmful levels in regular test results.
C2AE has provided engineering services for Escanaba since 1995. In 2013, C2AE helped Escanaba successfully apply for a grant through the state’s SAW (Stormwater, Asset Management, and Wastewater) Program. Using SAW funding, C2AE conducted a thorough inventory of much of the city’s infrastructure to create an asset management plan. The data from this effort has since formed part of Escanaba’s extensive GIS network.
When Michigan announced that municipalities would need to inventory and ultimately replace their lead services, Escanaba asked C2AE to populate its existing GIS network with a complete inventory of the city’s water service line materials. C2AE pulled data from existing records, performed material verification potholing, and walked door-to-door to gather a complete picture of the city’s water infrastructure on a GIS map.
The community leveraged the data in the GIS map with multiple funding sources to finance the multi-phase water infrastructure project. Escanaba first raked in a $3 million grant and $2 million loan from the state. Then in 2021, the Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) granted Escanaba $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for lead service line and water main replacements. In 2023, C2AE assisted Escanaba in securing an additional $20 million grant through federal infrastructure funding. In total, GIS has supported Escanaba in winning $45 million for lead service line and water main replacements —not to mention another $18 million for sanitary and clean water infrastructure improvements. Escanaba will need an estimated $70 to $80 million to remove all impacted services. C2AE will continue to use GIS to support the city’s aggressive pursuit of funding.
In the meantime, Escanaba is in the process of constructing replacements, which will take place over the next several years. C2AE and city staff hold regular public information meetings to walk through the GIS map, discussing which construction projects are upcoming, and how work may impact access to certain roads. The map below outlines just how many different facets of construction are involved in eliminating Escanaba’s lead services. GIS has proven to be an invaluable communication tool.
Another unexpected benefit of GIS arose in early conversations with the Escanaba Water Department. C2AE learned that many of the city’s water main valves date back to the 1800s, and some are inoperable. Using GIS, C2AE created valving maps, in which each blue dot represents a valve that will need to be replaced before construction can take place in a part of the city. If the valves are not repaired, the city will not be able to shut off water to the area during construction, causing a boil alert.
Why use GIS?
All New York municipalities will need to address their public lead service lines. Integrating your town’s inventory with GIS mapping will support your community in the following ways:
GIS will serve as the backbone of your near-future funding applications. Compliance with the LCRR does not require the use of GIS, but GIS can make your community’s inventory more useful in the long run. As in the case of Escanaba, a thorough inventory is likely to help your town secure funding to replace lead service lines, which is the Environmental Protection Agency’s ultimate goal.
GIS will enable transparent communications with residents. To many, the idea of lead being anywhere near drinking water is a frightening prospect. When residents reach out about your progress toward eliminating lead service lines, a quick look at your GIS dashboard will answer their questions and quell concerns.
GIS strategically outlines construction. By conducting your inventory with GIS, you will have access to a complete map of all your service lines, the materials used, and their condition. GIS can help you synthesize a tremendous amount of data and prioritize upcoming construction projects to minimize the cost and disruption to your community.
The level of effort needed to complete a quality inventory in GIS varies depending on the size of your service area and the reliability of your town’s existing records. C2AE can help you understand what your records show and how much investigation is needed to complete a compliant inventory. If you’re interested in learning more about how to integrate your lead service line inventory with GIS, call C2AE.
This article was first published in the Association of Towns Talk of the Towns & Topics, March/April 2024.
About the Author
Ian Yerdon, PE, is a civil engineer and New York native. Ian has completed award-winning engineering projects for rural towns across the state. Ian is passionate about bringing safe, reliable water infrastructure to underserved communities.
