The City of Alpena shared a news release on Monday with the following information:

In accordance with the State of Michigan Lead and Copper Rule, the City of Alpena will continue to conduct a mandated Distribution System Materials Inventory for all residential water services within the City of Alpena. The purpose of this is to identify homes with water connection lines that are either made of lead or contain lead. This inventory must be completed by Jan. 1, 2025.

To adequately inventory the existing water services, a City representative will need to access residences and water meters within the homes. Any residences where the water supply is determined to be lead or lead-containing will be notified in writing after the survey is completed.

The initial survey area will be in the area bounded by Washington Avenue, Hobbs/Bagley, Grant Street, and State Avenue. Residents in the area will receive a postcard mailing with additional information.

This survey is the first step of several required by the Lead and Copper Rule. After completion of the survey, the City will also perform other verification investigations within the system. Ultimately, any residence found with lead or lead-containing materials will need to be replaced, however, this work will be done spanning several years concluding in 2040. The State of Michigan requires that all service lines requiring replacement under this program are completed at the expense of the water supply (City).

Please note that the City of Alpena water supply is treated to prevent adverse effects from lead materials. The City has no record of any non-compliant lead presence in the City’s water system.

For more information, contact Steve Shultz, city engineer, at steves@alpena.mi.us or Michael Collins, City of Alpena water utility, at Michael.collins1@veolia.com.