Municipal Sewer and Water Magazine showcased the work that Toledo has been doing to remove lead. The article, “A Faster Fix for Lead Water Lines“, details Toledo’s lead service line replacement approach and progress, powered by BlueConduit.
In the article, Mark Riley, Administrator for the city of Toledo’s Department of Public Utilities, explains how Toledo began its inventory process.
How Toledo found the lead with BlueConduit
The article’s subtitle is: BlueConduit’s software uses existing data to predict the location of lead lines and expedite removal.
“They began by collecting data on all of our service lines, especially documentation on lead lines. They wanted to see what type of pipe material we had from the city side as well as the pipes going into the customer’s home.”
Mark Riley quoted in Municipal Sewer and Water Magazine December 2022
Toledo, using BlueConduit’s platform, has developed and published a public-facing map (see the map). This map is updated as the City replaces pipes and verifies materials. Riley welcomes and encourages the public to stay engaged, and residents to upload information on their pipes.
It’s important to Riley that the public is involved, knowledgeable and feels comfortable asking questions when crews are working near their homes. Keeping citizens feeling comfortable throughout the process of replacing lines is also a priority.
Municipal Sewer and Water Magazine December 2022
Progress: Replacing Lead Faster, Ahead of Schedule
Now two years into the project, and after obtaining significant funding Toledo expects that all of the lead will be removed in seven years rather than the original thirty.
“Because we’ve been able to leverage the BlueConduit work to rally significant funding, our timeline for replacement has significantly advanced. Without BlueConduit, we would have had to rely on historical records and inefficient ways of checking pipe. This would have cost the city more money and likely placed a bigger burden on our ratepayers.”
– Mark Riley quoted in Municipal Sewer and water magazine December 2022
Click here to read the full article in Municipal Sewer and Water Magazine.
