Greenville replaces lead-connected water main under Seventh Street
Built WorldCity council awards utility and fleet contracts within budget as street reconstruction advances
July 21st, 2026: Greenville council awards Seventh Street utility contractNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
Overview
Updated 55 minutes agoCity workers in Greenville, Michigan will soon tear up a stretch of Seventh Street to replace an undersized water main pieced together with lead connections. The city council awarded the $174,935 utility contract to Malley Construction on July 21, with the work folded into a $1.8 million reconstruction of nearby Coffren Street.
The project removes lead from drinking water infrastructure one street at a time. It comes as federal rules require water systems nationwide to replace lead service lines by 2037, an effort the EPA estimates still involves about 9.2 million lines.
Why it matters
Federal rules require US water systems to remove lead lines by 2037. Greenville shows how small cities fund that work, one street at a time.
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Organizations Involved
Municipal government of roughly 8,800 residents in Montcalm County, Michigan.
The contractor selected to replace the undersized, lead-connected water main beneath Seventh Street.
Ford dealership that won bids to supply three 4x4 work trucks and two small dump truck chassis.
Local nonprofit seeking state recognition so it can run charitable gaming for fundraising.
Timeline
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Greenville council awards Seventh Street utility contract
Latest GovernmentCouncil awards the $174,935 bid to Malley Construction for the Seventh Street utilities project, approves $233,735 in fleet vehicles from Ed Koehn Ford, and passes Resolution 26-14 recognizing Voices of Flat River Pride for charitable gaming.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
Flint water crisis (2014-2016)
Flint, Michigan switched its water source to the Flint River in April 2014 without corrosion control. Lead leached from aging pipes into drinking water, exposing thousands of residents, including children, to elevated lead levels.
The city switched back to Detroit water in 2015 and the state declared an emergency in 2016. Federal charges were filed and a $600 million settlement was later reached with residents.
The crisis became a national warning about lead plumbing and drove federal and state mandates for pipe replacement.
It explains why municipalities now replace lead connections before corrosion fails, the work Greenville is doing on Seventh Street.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021)
Congress passed and President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure law that set aside $15 billion specifically for lead service line replacement nationwide, distributed through state programs.
States began distributing lead pipe replacement funds to water utilities in 2022 and 2023.
The money created a dedicated funding pool small cities can draw on for projects like Greenville's Seventh Street work.
It provides the federal funding mechanism that helps small municipalities afford lead line replacement.
EPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (2024)
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized rules requiring water systems to replace all lead service lines within 10 years, by 2037, and to inventory their lead lines. It strengthened the original 1991 Lead and Copper Rule.
Water utilities began inventorying lead service lines and planning replacement schedules.
The enforceable 2037 deadline turns lead pipe replacement from voluntary to mandatory for every US water system.
It is the regulatory deadline motivating Greenville's street-by-street replacement work.
