Michigan Still Doesn't Know What 315,000 of Its Water Service Lines Are Made Of. Here's How to Check Yours

Water service line jobs by Mansour's Innovations: an old lead service tied to new type K copper, a rusted steel line next to new pipe, and a new copper line

Mansour's Innovations logo. Family-owned waterproofing, excavation and plumbing contractor in Shelby Township, Michigan

State data shows 98,253 lead and galvanized lines replaced since 2021. A Shelby Township plumber explains how to check your line and who pays if it's lead.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MI, UNITED STATES, November 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Most Michigan homeowners have never looked at the pipe that brings water into their house. Neither, in a lot of cases, has their water system.

When Michigan's water systems filed their service line inventories in October 2024, they listed 315,372 lines statewide as unknown material, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). Another 203,050 were lead, and 61,608 were galvanized steel lines that are or were connected to lead. EGLE calls the inventory "a snapshot in time," and systems have been updating it since.

Replacement is moving. EGLE's progress data shows 98,253 lead and galvanized service lines replaced in Michigan from 2021 through 2025, rising every year, from 10,316 in 2021 to 28,332 in 2025. In Detroit alone, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department lists more than 80,000 lead service lines and 15,855 replaced since 2018, as of March 2026.

"People hear 'lead pipe' and assume it's a big bill," said Imad "Matt" Mansour, owner of Mansour's Innovations, a family-owned plumbing, excavation and waterproofing company in Shelby Township. "In Michigan it usually isn't your bill. The first thing to find out is what you actually have."

Who pays

Michigan's Lead and Copper Rule requires water systems to replace every lead service line at an average of 5 percent a year, over no more than 20 years, starting in 2021. Under the rule, EGLE says, "the full lead service line must be replaced at water supply expense, regardless of ownership." Galvanized lines that are, or ever were, connected to lead have to be replaced too. Replacing only part of a lead line is no longer allowed except in an emergency repair.

A federal rule adopted in 2024, the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, sets a tighter national deadline of December 31, 2037. It is in effect but is being challenged in federal court by water utility groups.

"If you find lead, call your water department before you call a contractor," Mansour said. "Ask where you are on their list. We'd rather tell you that than take your money for something the city is required to do."

How to check your line in two minutes

Find where the water line comes through the basement wall or floor, usually near the water meter. Scrape a small spot on the pipe before the meter with a coin or a key, and hold a magnet to it.

- Copper: scratches to a shiny penny color, and a magnet won't stick.
- Lead: dull gray, soft, scratches to a bright silver color, and a magnet won't stick.
- Galvanized steel: gray, hard to scratch, and a magnet sticks.
- Plastic: usually white, blue or black.

Take a photo and send it to your water department. Every community water system in Michigan has to keep an inventory of its service lines, and a homeowner's photo can help settle an unknown one.

"Galvanized is the one people miss," Mansour said. "It looks like ordinary gray pipe. It rusts from the inside, the water pressure drops a little every year, and if it was ever connected to lead, the state counts it with the lead lines."

When the homeowner pays

A line that is not lead and was never connected to lead is a different story. Old galvanized lines that rust closed and copper lines that crack or leak underground are usually the owner's to fix, though rules vary by city. The signs are low water pressure that keeps getting worse, a wet spot in the yard that doesn't dry out, rusty water, or a water bill that jumps with no change in use.

Mansour's crews replace water service lines across Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties with new copper or PEX, from the city connection to the house. They pull the permit, call MISS DIG to mark utilities before digging, and coordinate with the water utility for the tap and meter.

"Lead is a serious health hazard, especially for children, and there is no safe level of exposure," Mansour said. "Nobody should wait to find out what their pipe is. It costs you nothing to look."

The company has published details on water service line replacement, water main and sewer installation, and its plumbing services on its website.

About Mansour's Innovations

Mansour's Innovations is a family-owned waterproofing, excavation and plumbing contractor based in Shelby Township, Michigan, serving Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties since 2014. Owner Imad "Matt" Mansour has more than 20 years in the trade, and the crew has completed more than 1,600 projects. The company holds a 4.9-star rating on Google, is licensed, bonded and insured, offers free estimates and answers emergency calls 24/7.

Imad Mansour
Mansour’s Innovations
+1 586-345-7292
Info@mansoursinnovations.com