ESCANABA — The city of Escanaba recently sent out letters to households and businesses that have been identified as likely having a lead water service line, but is reminding residents that the amount of lead in the city’s water supply is low.

The notification letter was required by the state of Michigan to be sent to properties that are known or suspected to have a lead service line. The properties were identified during a recently completed distribution system materials inventory.

According to a press release issued by the city Monday, the inventory was done “using generations of disorganized records and a physical inspection of a small percentage of the system.”

A total of 3,572 confirmed and suspected lead goosenecks were identified. An additional 322 galvanized lines — which are located on the property owner’s side of the system — have been identified as being previously connected to a lead gooseneck, which makes them qualify as a lead service line under the state’s definitions.

The state mandate requires that all 3,894 service lines — roughly 70% of the 5,380 total service lines in the city — be replaced with the city paying the cost.

To date, these replacements have mostly been done with roughly $41 million in grant funding secured by the city. Recent lead service line replacements, however, have been funded through other sources.

“Although no amount of lead in our water can be considered safe, the City has a highly effective corrosion control program, which restabilizes the water after the treatment process. Unstable water is considered aggressive and can leach heavy metals from the pipes,” the city wrote in the press release.

The state’s lead service line replacement program is largely a response to the Flint Water Crisis. In 2014, the city of Flint changed the source of its water from Detroit’s system to the Flint River as a cost-saving measure. The new water was more corrosive, and Flint’s aging water system did not have adequate corrosion control. The result was a substantial increase in the amount of lead in the water, with some neighborhoods seeing levels as high as 15 parts per billion.

New federal and state standards issued after the crisis set the maximum amount of lead in water at 12 parts per billion. Extensive sampling in Escanaba has shown the city’s water is at 1.0 parts per billion.

The results of the city’s testing can be found in the city’s Consumer Confidence Report, available at www.escanaba.org/water under “Annual Drinking Quality Reports.” The city says a static map of all lead service lines will also be made available on the website soon.

Anyone who has been told by a doctor that they have high lead levels in their blood can contact the city to have their water sampled free of charge to help identify the source of the contamination. Household plumbing may be the cause.

For any questions about the lead service line replacement project or the city’s lead testing programs can contact the water department at 906-786-3291.