Water System

We developed a Water System Strategic Plan for the City of Grand Rapids Water System. The Water System's strategic plan tackles many of the challenges public utilities face nationwide, including aging infrastructure, emerging contaminates, new regulatory requirements, and a decline in a skilled workforce.

When developing our strategic direction, we leveraged our values of respect, self-awareness, equitability, listening, accountability, collaboration, and reliability. We also structured the Strategic Plan around five strategic priorities, which are:

• Customer Experience
• Finance & Business Management
• Asset Management & Capital Planning
• Innovation & Sustainability
• Leadership & Employee Development

As we begin to implement the Strategic Plan, we are committed to tracking and evaluating our progress. This will include close attention to the effectiveness of this plan's strategic priorities, objectives, and ability to make the necessary changes or improvements.

Strategic Plan(PDF, 3MB)

Drinking Water Quality

We are proud of the high-quality and safe drinking water that we provide our customers every day, and we take this responsibility very seriously. Our customers should be confident in the system’s water quality and safety.

On this page you will find information and links about:

• 2021 Water Quality Report
• What is in Your Water? 2021 Water Analysis
• Lead and Copper Rule & Sampling Results
• PFAS Information & Sampling Results

2021 Water Quality Report

The annual report details the results of water quality monitoring during 2021, as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act. This report explains where your drinking water comes from, what is in it and what steps we take to keep it safe. At the end of each year, we put together a Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report).

  View Report 

Report Library

Use the report library to find the current and past years' reports.

View Library

What is in your water? 2021 Water Analysis

Find out exactly what is in your water. This analysis contains information about calcium, alkalinity, hardness levels, etc. in Lake Michigan and drinking water.

View Analysis(PDF, 200KB)

Lead and Copper Rule & Sampling Results

In 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a regulation called the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) that requires water suppliers to control lead and copper in drinking water using corrosion control measures. Corrosion control is an effective way to reduce the release of these metals from plumbing materials into drinking water.

We recently completed our annual lead and copper sampling. No samples exceeded the lead action level of 15 ppb or the copper action level of 1.3 ppm set by the EPA and the State of Michigan. Our 90th percentile for lead is 9 parts per billion (ppb) and 0.0 parts per million (ppm) for copper.

Info & Results

PFAS Information and Sampling Results

In April of 2019, the State of Michigan began a statewide sampling program and sampled all the surface water systems in the state for six consecutive months. Our test results showed that our tap water concentration of PFOS and PFOA are well below the EPA lifetime health advisory of 70 part per trillion (ppt) established by the EPA and state as well as regulatory limits being discussed.

Info & Results

We are committed to delivering high-quality water. We work hard every day to do just that and we have a long history of success in protecting the public’s health. We regularly sample drinking water to better understand the lead and copper levels in our system. We then use corrosion-control measures at our water filtration plant to ensure lead levels are controlled.

Lead found in drinking water is soluble or particulate. Soluble lead is lead that is dissolved in water. Particulate lead is small pieces of lead from lead-containing material. Either type of lead can get into your drinking water when pipes or faucets containing lead begin to break down or dissolve.

Check out this short educational video from the American Water Work Association to learn more about water and lead services lines.

Lead Water Service Line Map

We have developed a new tool that allows residents to search for their property address to determine the material of the public, and privately owned water service line on the property. We used historical data such as plumbing and tap records to verify the service line material.

View Map

Lead and Copper Rule & Sampling Results

The revised Michigan Lead and Copper Rule created more requirements to reduce the risk of exposure to lead and copper in drinking water. The Lead and Copper Rule has specific requirements for how lead and copper water samples are collected.

In 2020, we completed our annual lead and copper sampling. No samples exceeded the lead action level of 15 ppb or the copper action level of 1.3 ppm set by the EPA and the State of Michigan. Our 90th percentile for lead is 9 parts per billion (ppb) and 0.0 parts per million (ppm) for copper.

More Info

Lead Service Line Notice & How to Minimize your Lead Exposure

We are required to notify property owners if there is a potential or verified lead service line serving the property. Those property owners will receive a notice by mail from the Grand Rapids Water System

Older homes may contain lead pipes or faucets that can contribute to lead exposure. When lead pipes are moved or worked on near or within your home, lead may leach into the water as it passes through the pipes. Visit the Frequently Asked Questions About Lead to learn more about lead and how to minimize your lead exposure.

FAQs

The Lead Service Line Replacement Program

We continue to promote transparency and raise public awareness about lead and water quality. Since 2017, we have replaced approximately 1,387 lead service lines through our Lead Service Line Replacement Program. Our Lead Service Line Replacement Program allows us to replace lead service lines at zero cost to the homeowner, including the private side if certain requirements are met. 

We have been awarded a $5.1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for private lead service line replacements. The grant will help replace approximately 1,608 private lead service lines in the next four years in Neighborhoods of Focus (NOF).

If you do not meet the requirements and still want to have your lead service line replaced, you are responsible for the costs of the replacement. You can use a Ten-Pay program to spread the cost over 10 years.

More Info

2022 Preliminary Rate Study

The Grand Rapids Preliminary Water and Sewer Rate Study is now available. 

2022 Preliminary Rate Study(PDF, 3MB)

Citizens Guide to the 2022 Preliminary Rate Study(PDF, 846KB) 

Rate Study Library

We use a complex, but transparent, method to determine the rates for the Grand Rapids Water System. Changes to the rates are effective the 1st of each year, after a study, review and approval process. Users, customer communities and the City Commission are all involved in this process. Use the rate study library to find the current and past years' rate study results.

View Library

The Utility Advisory Board (UAB) reviews Water System rates, policies, and fees. The UAB then makes recommendations to the Grand Rapids City Commission. The Commission reviews these recommendations and approves and adopts them.

Each customer community has a seat on the UAB. While wholesale communities are not represented, they negotiate fair contracts with the City of Grand Rapids. For more about the UAB, check out the links below.

• UAB Meeting Schedule and Notices
• UAB Documents

Customer Communities

All of our customer communities are represented on the Utility Advisory Board (UAB). These are the areas outside the Grand Rapids city limits that our Water System serves. Some of these communities are retail water customers , while others are wholesale water customers.

Ada Township

Wholesale Water and Sewer Customer

Cascade Township

Retail Water and Sewer Customer

City of East Grand Rapids

Wholesale Water and Sewer

City of Kentwood

Retail Water and Sewer

Tallmadge Township

Retail Water and Sewer

City of Walker

Retail Water and Sewer

Wright Township

Retail Sewer

Wholesale Communities

Wholesale communities are not represented on the Utility Advisory Board (UAB). Instead, these municipalities negotiate a fair contract with the City of Grand Rapids. All of these communities are wholesale water customers .

Gaines Township

Wholesale Sewer

Ottawa County

Wholesale Water

The Water Advisory Council (WAC) is a strategic partnership that advises and consults with the Grand Rapids Water System and its community partners to raise public awareness about water quality issues and lead service lines. Visit the link below for more information about the WAC. 

More about the WAC