98.6% of the water service lines in Benton Harbor have now been replaced or confirmed lead free. The city this week updated its online dashboard showing progress on the effort to rid the city of lead water lines. It says there are only 62 properties left to go when it comes to inspecting and removing lead lines, if needed. The state has a goal of getting all lead lines eliminated from the city by April of next year. It’s taken an effort of local, state, and federal partners to make it all happen. Meanwhile, the city last month released a report to residents on possible alternatives to the current municipal water system. It looks at seven possibilities. The least expensive to residents would be for the city to maintain ownership of the water system, but with most staff members contracted out. That would increase the average monthly water rate by $7.45. The most expensive alternative would be to connect to the Benton Township system, which would cost residents $77 more per month. The report also lists possibilities for which there is no cost estimate. You can find the report right here.
