A tree root grows through the sidewalk outside Lajoyce Howard's home in the Mott Park neighborhood of Flint, Mich. on July 19, 2023. Howard’s pipes were replaced in Fall 2020, but her sidewalk was affected after the repaired area was covered with gravel, leaving room for tree roots to grow over it.(Michael Indriolo | Flint Beat)

Flint, MI — Following a request from the City of Flint, the State of Michigan recently filed a motion to assist the City by managing and paying for yard and road restoration at roughly 1,848 homes damaged by lead service line excavation and replacement work.

The lead service line excavation and replacement work was completed under the NRDC/Concerned Pastors’ Settlement Agreement. The motion was filed before U.S. District Court Judge David M. Lawson on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, and is pending approval.

Out of $97 million in State funding allocated to Flint’s lead service line excavation, replacement, and restoration, all but roughly $1.1 to $1.2 million has been expended. The cost to complete the remaining restoration work required under the settlement agreement is approximately $4,620,000, not including additional project management costs.

To restart work as soon as possible this construction season, the City of Flint intends to transfer its engineering and construction contracts to the State of Michigan. This will allow the State to add funds to the project to complete the restoration work required by the settlement agreement.

Under the Concerned Pastors’ lawsuit, the City of Flint is required under the Settlement Agreement, as amended, to complete restorations at properties where a service line excavation was conducted.

The motion proposes to complete restorations by no later than Aug. 1, 2025.

The City of Flint has completed 29,777 water service line excavations and identifications to date, including 10,529 lead service line replacements. The remaining lines were copper and did not need to be replaced.

Flint originally agreed to replace all of its old lead pipes by Jan. 1, 2020, however, that deadline was gradually pushed back due to financing and management concerns — first to 2021, then 2022, and then Aug. 1, 2023. 

In August 2023, Flint Beat reported LaJoyce Howard’s pipes were replaced in Fall 2020, but her sidewalk was affected after the repaired area was covered with gravel, leaving room for tree roots to grow over it.