Lead Service Line Information

October 17, 2025

Sampling shows elevated lead levels in some homes in the City of Madison Heights.

The City of Madison Heights found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some homes/buildings in our community. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant persons and young children. Please read this information closely to see what you can do to reduce lead in your drinking water.

Madison Heights conducts periodic testing of tap water in homes for lead and copper. We recently collected samples from 30 homes with lead service lines. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) evaluates compliance with the Action Level based on the 90th percentile of lead and copper results collected in each round of sampling. The lead 90th percentile for Madison Heights is 18 parts per billion (ppb), which exceeds the Action Level of 12 ppb.

The “Action Level” is a measure of corrosion control effectiveness; it is not a health-based standard. The goal for lead in drinking water is 0 ppb; there is no safe level of lead in the blood.

An “Action Level Exceedance” (ALE) means that more than 10 percent of the 30 homes tested have results over 12 ppb. Seven sites exceeding the action level were determined during sampling. The exceedance triggers additional actions, including educational outreach to customers, ongoing sampling every six months, and replacing the pipe that connects your home to the water main, known as a service line.

Lead can enter drinking water when in contact with pipes, solder, home/building interior plumbing, fittings, and fixtures that contain lead. Homes with lead service lines have an increased risk of having high lead levels in drinking water. The more time water has been sitting in your home’s pipes, the more lead it may contain. Therefore, if your water has not been used for several hours, run the water before using it for drinking or cooking. This flushes any lead-containing water from the pipes. Additional flushing may be required for homes that have been vacant or have a longer service line.

Madison Heights is committed to delivering the highest quality drinking water. Madison Heights purchases its drinking water from the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), whose water source does not contain lead. However, individual lead water service lines can be a source of lead at individual locations. We would like to share some ways you can reduce your exposure to lead, since lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water and other sources.

Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavior problems. The children of pregnant persons who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems.

How to reduce your exposure to lead in drinking water

  • Learn what your service line material is. The City of Madison Heights estimates 140 homes with lead service lines. These homes were built prior to 1950, most commonly in the 1940s when copper was harder to acquire due to World War II. 
    •  If you suspect you may have a lead service line, contact us at (248) 589-2294 or a licensed plumber to determine if the service line is made from lead, galvanized, or other materials. Homes with lead service lines have an increased risk of having high lead levels in drinking water.
  • The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommends that Michigan households use a certified lead-reducing drinking water filter if your home has or if you are uncertain if it has a source of lead, such as one of the following:
    • Lead or galvanized plumbing.
    • A lead service line carrying water from the street to their residence.
    • Copper plumbing with lead solder before 1988 (EGLE recommendation).
    • Old faucets and fittings that were sold before 2014.
  • Use the filter until you are able to remove sources of household lead plumbing, such as:
    • Replace pre-2014 faucets.
    • Get a lead inspection and replace needed plumbing. 
  • Look for filters that are tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for lead reduction and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for particulate reduction (Class I).
  • For filters to work properly, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • Run your water to flush out lead-containing water.
    • If you do not have a lead service line, run the water for 30 seconds to two minutes, or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature.
    • If you do have a lead service line, run the water for at least five minutes to flush water from your home or building’s plumbing and the lead service line.
  • Use cold water from the tap for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula as lead dissolves more easily into hot water and hot water should not be run through filters.
  • Boiling water does not remove lead from water. Filter cold water, then boil the filtered water as necessary.
  • Clean your faucet aerator to remove trapped debris.

Get your child tested to determine lead levels in their blood. Keep in mind that drinking water is not the only potential source of lead exposure because lead can be found in air, soil, and paint. A family doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide information about the health effects of lead. State, city, or county departments of health can also provide information about how you can have your child's blood tested for lead.

Madison Heights is working to:

  • conduct additional lead and/or water quality monitoring
  • increase our lead monitoring
  • remove the lead service lines 

If you are a Madison Heights water customer and would like your service line inspected or would like to learn about testing your water for lead, contact the Madison Heights at (248) 589-2294 or visit Michigan.gov/EGLELab for a list of certified labs.

If you are operating a food establishment such as a store, restaurant, bar, or food manufacturing establishment, please visit this page Michigan.gov/MDARDLeadInfo for specific information for food firms.

Madison Heights will soon send a comprehensive public education document about lead in drinking water. We will collect 60 samples every six months and review the results to determine if corrective actions are necessary to reduce corrosion in household plumbing. Our ALE will be resolved when we have successfully completed two consecutive six-month rounds of monitoring and the lead and copper 90th percentile values are below the action levels.

Additional information regarding lead can be found at Madison Heights’s website or at EGLE and MDHHS websites: Michigan.gov/EGLELeadPublicAdvisory, Michigan.gov/MILeadSafe, and Michigan.gov/GetAheadOfLead. You can also call the DHHS Drinking Water Hotline at 844-934-1315.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (e.g., people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by the City of Madison Heights.

Schedule an appointment for a service line assessment.

Check for Lead Pipes with this How-To PDF.