Lead Service Line
Replacement: An Update
 

  

When the BWL trims trees on our property, will they haul away the portions that are cut down?

   Pauline and Ted Sondag, East Lansing

When tree maintenance is performed on a customer’s property, the BWL’s practice is to chip and remove all brush and timber smaller than 4 inches in diameter.

Limbs and branches larger than 4 inches in diameter are cut down to manageable lengths, and stacked on the property for the customer’s use or disposal.

Note these exceptions:

1. If trees are damaged by a storm, the BWL will cut limbs away from power lines, but the debris then becomes the customer’s responsibility.

2. If a customer is in the process of removing a tree, the BWL will assist in eliminating electrical hazards. After that, cleanup is the customer’s responsibility.

In circumstances other than emergencies, we will not cut any more limbs or branches than can be hauled away on a given day. (See below for a related story on tree trimming).

 

Do you have a question about some aspect of Lansing Board of Water & Light operations? Include your name, city of residence and phone number, and send it to Q CORNER:
 

  E-MAIL: mailto:mdn@lbwl.com

    FAX:  (517) 702-6855

   MAIL:  Lansing Board of Water & Light

          Communications Department

          1232 Haco Dr., P.O. Box 13007

          Lansing MI 48901.

 

 

Did you know...

• The Lansing Board of Water & Light is one of very few utilities in the country to voluntarily decide to replace its lead service lines?

• The BWL is about a half-year ahead of schedule in replacing all lead service lines to customers; part of an action plan that is more aggressive than regulations require?

• We offer free analyses of drinking water to all customers with full lead service lines?

• We provide free water filters and replacement cartridges to customers with service lines that are partially or entirely made of lead?

Lead in municipal water systems isn’t something that just cropped up. Many cities across the United States have had lead service lines for decades. A few utilities like the BWL have enacted aggressive plans to replace every lead service line.

Of the approximately 56,000 customers with BWL water service, fewer than 10,000 still have lead service lines. We’ve already replaced more than 3,000 lead service lines.

Health experts believe the risk to BWL water customers is minimal. The real threat comes from lead paint and lead dust found in some older homes. Lead can cause serious health problems at high levels, including damage to the brain, red blood cells and kidneys.

While the chance of getting lead poisoning from drinking municipal water is remote, we want to err on the side of caution. That’s why we’re also doing the following:

• Homes registering the highest levels of lead in water are given priority to have lead service lines replaced.

• Lead service lines to schools or licensed day-care centers have been replaced. When we are notified that a pregnant woman or child under age 6 lives in a house with a lead service line, that house is given high priority for service line replacement.

 And, we’ve said it before, but it’s always worth repeating:

 Flush the water lines.

This ensures fresh water from the water main. If you have a lead service line and plan to use the water for drinking or cooking, run water at the tap for 7 minutes if the water has been stagnant for six or more hours.

To find out if your house has a lead service line, call our Customer Service Department at (517) 702-6006. For more information about lead, click here. 

 

We stuffed
the truck!

(And filled stomachs)

On November 9, the BWL held its first annual Stuff the Truck food drive. We asked our 700-plus employees to pack a large delivery truck with canned goods and non-perishable food items. All donations went to the Greater Lansing Food Bank.

In a single day, our employees amassed nearly three tons of food!

This holiday season, we invite all BWL customers to join us in helping the food bank achieve its ongoing mission – to feed hungry families throughout mid-Michigan.

Some things you might like to know:

• Nearly half of those served are children.

• 44 percent of those served are the working poor.

• More than 4,400 people a month are served in this community.

For information about food donations, call (517) 887-4307 or click here. Monetary donations can be mailed to: Greater Lansing Food Bank, P.O. Box 11065, Lansing MI 48901.

To obtain food assistance, call
(517) 887-4357.

TRIMMING
THE TREE:
FOR US, IT'S
ABOUT SAFETY

’Tis the season when many people love to trim the Christmas tree.

For the BWL, trimming a tree is not about celebration, but safety and reliability.

We spend $1.4 million every year keeping tree limbs away from power lines. This ensures a safer environment for people in our neighborhoods and for our line crews who strive to maintain and restore electric service to our 97,000 customers.

Tree trimming is a tough balancing act. We want electricity service to be dependable, as well as safe for our customers and employees. But we also understand customers’ concerns about how a tree looks after it’s pruned.

You should know that before tree trimming is done in a neighborhood, affected residents are notified in person, or by a door tag that explains the work being planned. The door tag gives residents a phone number to call if they have questions.

We are currently in the sixth year of a program to fully trim trees throughout the BWL’s service area. This trimming cycle will conclude by June 2007.

Since our aggressive tree-trimming program began in 2000, there has been a marked improvement in service reliability.

Still, we fully appreciate customers’ concerns about tree trimming aesthetics. If you have any questions, call (517) 702-6552, or click here to review our tree maintenance.