City water department plans random testing

Roberto Scappaticci

Several Romulus homes will receive a visit from city employees during the next few weeks in an effort to determine the quality of residential water.

City Department of Public Service Director Roberto Scappaticci explained that this testing is a partnership with property owners to inspect water service lines in front of and inside their homes. The proactive measure is part of a Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant received by the city to inventory materials used in the water service lines to homes and businesses, Scappaticci explained.

The work will help identify, account for, and eventually eliminate any potential lead service lines at homes and businesses, he added. The DWAM grant is offered by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and requires a certain number of randomly selected properties to be inspected.

Physical inspections of water connections at the curb stop in front of the property and at the meter located inside, will allow inspectors to identify what materials were used during construction decades ago, Scappaticci said. During a time when a variety of materials were used during construction of water services lines in the city, lead materials were considered standard practice during time of installation.

The city has a long-standing history of providing safe drinking water to the residents and business owners of Romulus, and officials are committed to continue this practice with the help of residents, according to Scappaticci, who has been the director of the department since 2014. A simple inspection of the water service line material will assist city employees in determining if and where lead service lines exist in the system. These inspections will help with planning for replacement of any service lines that may exist.

Currently, the city water and sewer department manages the reading and maintaining of approximately 8,000 services in the city. The department is also responsible for new meter installations and maintains and repairs all the city-owned fire hydrants. 

Randomly selected property owners will be receiving a letter explaining the program with instructions for scheduling an in-home inspection of the service line. It is required for the property owner to be present during this 5-to-10-minute inspection, Scappaticci said. For more information, contact the Romulus Department of Public Services at (734) 942-7579.