Lead pipes in Wayne County, Michigan
How many lead pipes are in Wayne County, MI?
Water systems based in Wayne County reported 99,027 lead service lines, 11,317 galvanized lines that need replacing and 134,595 lines of unknown material to EPA (Q3 2026). Detroit has the most, with 80,715 lead and galvanized lines.
Free replacement program confirmed
Who pays in Michigan
Michigan has the strongest lead line rule in the country. Since the 2018 revision after the Flint crisis, water suppliers must replace all lead service lines, including the part on private property, by 2041, and they pay for it from system revenue rather than billing the owner directly. Partial replacements are banned except in emergencies. Water suppliers challenged the rule, and the Michigan Court of Claims upheld it in 2019.
Confirmed programs in Wayne County
- Detroit: Free, block by block.
- Southgate: Utility pays under Michigan's rule.
- Dearborn: City replacing 5% a year under Michigan rule.
- Highland Park: Free; aiming to finish by 2031.
- Lincoln Park: City contracts under Michigan's rule.
- Grosse Pointe Park: City contracts under Michigan's rule.
Every Wayne County water system with lead lines
Systems are grouped by the county EPA lists as their main service area. Some serve towns in neighboring counties too.
| Water system | Lead | Galv. | Unknown | Program |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit City of Detroit | 80,595 | 120 | 39,073 | Free, utility schedules |
| Southgate Southgate | 192 | 9,735 | 663 | Free, utility schedules |
| Dearborn Dearborn | 5,271 | 0 | 4,625 | Free, utility schedules |
| Highland Park Highland Park | 2,828 | 0 | 0 | Free replacement |
| Lincoln Park Lincoln Park | 2,647 | 0 | 0 | Free, utility schedules |
| Grosse Pointe Park Grosse Pointe Park | 1,999 | 1 | 13 | Free, utility schedules |
| Ecorse Ecorse | 1,815 | 3 | 403 | Not confirmed |
| Harper Woods Harper Woods | 152 | 720 | 1,597 | Not confirmed |
| Hamtramck Hamtramck | 793 | 41 | 4,551 | Not confirmed |
| Garden City Garden City | 315 | 0 | 577 | Not confirmed |
| Wayne Wayne | 112 | 182 | 4,117 | Not confirmed |
| Plymouth Plymouth | 173 | 109 | 414 | Not confirmed |
| Inkster Inkster | 199 | 77 | 1,792 | Not confirmed |
| Wyandotte Wyandotte | 241 | 11 | 9,439 | Not confirmed |
| Grosse Pointe Farms Grosse Pointe Farms | 244 | 0 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Allen Park Allen Park | 236 | 0 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Northville Northville | 3 | 193 | 276 | Not confirmed |
| Flat Rock Flat Rock | 178 | 0 | 12 | Not confirmed |
| Livonia Livonia | 134 | 31 | 29,973 | Not confirmed |
| Trenton Trenton | 155 | 4 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| River Rouge River Rouge | 155 | 0 | 2,350 | Not confirmed |
| Taylor Taylor | 124 | 0 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Grosse Pointe City of Grosse Pointe | 113 | 5 | 1,199 | Not confirmed |
| Grosse Pointe Woods Grosse Pointe Woods | 69 | 35 | 6,448 | Not confirmed |
| Redford Township Redford Township | 94 | 0 | 4,922 | Not confirmed |
| Riverview Riverview | 84 | 1 | 38 | Not confirmed |
| Romulus Romulus | 43 | 14 | 5,533 | Not confirmed |
| Grosse Ile Township Grosse Ile Township | 28 | 0 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Wayne Westland | 0 | 21 | 13,071 | Not confirmed |
| Gibraltar Gibraltar | 14 | 1 | 70 | Not confirmed |
| Brownstown Township Brownstown Township | 7 | 6 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Plymouth Township Plymouth Township | 5 | 6 | 0 | Not confirmed |
| Melvindale Melvindale | 8 | 1 | 2,750 | Not confirmed |
| Grosse Pointe Shores Grosse Pointe Shores | 1 | 0 | 689 | Not confirmed |
Systems over the new 10 ppb lead action level
Hamtramck (11.9 ppb, 2026-01 to 2026-06); Garden City (15.6 ppb, 2026-01 to 2026-06); Taylor (10.7 ppb, 2026-01 to 2026-06); Grosse Pointe Woods (10.8 ppb, 2026-01 to 2026-06). See all systems over 10 ppb.
Common questions
How many lead pipes are in Wayne County, MI?
Water systems based in Wayne County reported 99,027 lead service lines, 11,317 galvanized lines that need replacing and 134,595 lines of unknown material to EPA (Q3 2026). Detroit has the most, with 80,715 lead and galvanized lines.
Who pays to replace lead service lines in Wayne County?
It depends on your water utility. Michigan has the strongest lead line rule in the country. We have confirmed programs for 6 Wayne County utilities, listed on this page.
How do I find out if my house has a lead service line?
Look up your address on your water utility's service line inventory map, or check the pipe where it enters your home: lead is dull gray, soft, scratches to shiny silver, and a magnet won't stick. See our step-by-step guide.
Other Michigan counties
Kent CountyMuskegon CountyOttawa CountySaginaw CountyOakland CountyKalamazoo CountyCalhoun CountyBerrien CountyDelta CountyBay CountyShiawassee CountySt. Joseph CountyMichigan →