Michigan’s $2.5 Billion Lead Pipe Replacement Plan Draws Detroit Suit (1)

Billions required to replace lead water service lines will bust local water treatment budgets and may violate the Michigan constitution, Detroit and several local governments said as they sued the state.

In a complaint filed Dec. 11, the local governments said they can’t shoulder the $2.5 billion cost of replacing all public and private portions of existing lead services lines. That unfunded mandate, along with lowering the allowed lead level in drinking water from 15 parts per billion to 12 parts per billion by 2025, made the ...