(22 Feb 2016) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus049082
A research team led by a University of Michigan-Flint professor estimates the city has more than 8,000 lead service lines.
Dr. Marty Kaufman announced the findings at a news conference Monday at City Hall. Kaufman's team analyzed Flint's hand-written records, paper maps, and scanned images to create a digital database of lead service pipes in the city.
Kaufman stressed that while the project is a full compilation of available data, the records _ which were compiled from a 1984 survey _ didn't always indicate the types of pipes used.
The numbers and locations of lead service lines in Flint is significant, because Mayor Karen Weaver, who appeared with Kaufman on Monday, wants them removed as quickly as possible.
Flint switched its drinking water source from Detroit, which draws from Lake Huron, to the Flint River in April 2014 as a temporary cost-saving measure.
Flint did not treat the river water with anti-corrosion chemicals, allowing the corrosive river water to scrape lead from aging pipes. The city returned to the Detroit system last October, but residents were exposed to lead-tainted water for 18 months.
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