FLINT, MI—Flint residents can now see if their home has been checked for lead pipes or how likely their home is to have them.
A new map shows which Flint homes have pipes that are copper, known to be lead, have a high likelihood of having lead, a medium likelihood of having lead, a low likelihood of having lead or unable to verify a water account. It was created by the Natural Resource Defense Council’s Flint team and independent data scientists Jared Webb, Eric Schwartz and Jake Abernethy. The map can be found here.
As of March 20, the city has checked 25,409 homes for lead or galvanized pipes. Of those homes, 9,554 pipes have been replaced. The city estimates the project is 90% complete with 3,000 more homes to check. Flint’s Director of Communications Marjory Raymer said officials are aware of the map but the city hasn’t vetted it.
The water pipe replacement is mainly being funded by a $97 million Concerned Pastors Settlement where attorneys with the NRDC represented Flint residents.
Stacy Woods, a data scientist for the NRDC, said the map was created because residents have a right to know the pipe materials bringing water into their homes.
“We believe the Flint pipe data belongs to the people,” Woods said.
The map gives the current water pipe status of every Flint home, according to Webb.
“Verified materials refer to service lines that have been excavated and visually inspected. Where these are not available, we give a risk category from our mathematical models,” Webb said.
The map was made using information gathered by the city while it inspected residents’ homes for lead or galvanized steel pipes.
“This map displays the tremendous progress that the city has made in replacing lead service lines, and we look forward to engaging with the city as they continue their work,” Schwartz said.
The data scientists started working with the city of Flint on the pipe replacement project in 2016. Part of that work included making internal maps that guided contractors which homes were most at risk of having lead or galvanized steel pipes.
“However, it wasn’t until (2019) as we moved to make information available to the public that we realized how inadequate our internal maps were for a general audience,” Webb said.
Alongside the NRDC, the data scientists created a map to visually communicate the project’s progress and where risk remains.
The map is updated as the city turns in the information it uncovers during the project, according to Webb. Residents are encouraged to submit corrections that will be incorporated into the map. Flint is slated to finish its pipe replacement program this year.
“Which means that time is ticking for Flint residents to grant the city permission to inspect their water service lines,” Woods said.
Residents are eligible for a free pipe replacement if their pipes are made of lead or galvanized steel. Homeowners must grant the work crews permission to do the work and be home at the time the service lines are excavated and replaced, if necessary.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley encourages all residents to participate in the service line replacement project.
“We need residents’ help and cooperation. I urge all households to participate in the service line replacement project. This is for the wellbeing of you, your family, and our entire community for generations to come.”
In addition to seeing the material of pipes in their homes, the map’s website links to the city’s inspection permission form. They can also access resources for steps they can take to protect themselves and their families if their home has lead pipes.
The city uses a predictive model created by the data scientists to guide the pipe project.
“Our model uses historical information about service lines and publicly available information about each parcel to make predictions,” Webb said.
Flint first used the model in 2016 but stopped referring to it for planning replacements in 2018 when AECOM, a Los Angeles-based engineering firm took over FAST Start, the city’s pipe replacement program. Of the 10,531 properties that were dug in 2018, Flint found and replaced about 1,567 lead or galvanized pipes--a 15 percent accuracy rate.
Through a court-approved amendment, signed by Judge U.S. District Judge David Lawson on March 26, Flint is required to use the data-driven model to find lead service pipes.