City of Harper Woods Incorporated in 1951
The Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act has changed to better protect your health. New water sampling rules have been added to better detect possible lead in your drinking water. These changes require communities, including Harper Woods, with lead service lines and older housing stock, to do more sampling. This new sampling method is expected to result in higher lead results, not because the water source or quality for residents has changed, rather, because the Act has more stringent sampling procedures and analysis.
Since 1992 and in accordance with the Act, the City has been conducting testing for lead and copper at sampling locations throughout the City. The City had four (4) of the targeted thirty (30) sites known lead service leads report elevated lead results.
Please take time to read this Public Advisory carefully. It will provide you context and understanding concerning five of the test results as it relates to lead levels in the water. It will also outline actions that you can take as well as steps the City will be taking. You will also find links to a number of resources from the State of Michigan, Wayne County and other sources.
The State of Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has produced an informative video to help you understand how to use a Lead and Copper water testing kit.