Pontiac purchases their water from the North Oakland County Water Authority (NOCWA), who purchases it from the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). The water comes from the Lake Huron watershed via the Lake Huron Water Treatment Plant in Port Huron.

GLWA’s water treatment process is a 24/7 operation managed by highly-qualified and trained professionals. Once water enters GLWA facilities it goes through various treatment levels, including physical screening, filtration and a final quality check before being pumped out of the stations into the distribution system.

There is no lead or copper in the source water.

Lead and copper contamination comes from leaching of plumbing materials and lead service lines in older homes. Corrosion control chemicals (phosphate) are added to the water at the treatment plant to minimize leaching into drinking water. View the lead and copper results for Pontiac.

Things you can do to minimize consuming water containing leached plumbing material are as follows:

• Use cold water for drinking and cooking
• Flush your faucet if not used for more than 6 hours
• Clean out your faucet aerators on a regular basis
• Consider replacing your faucet if older than 2014. Faucets newer than 2014 are considered lead free (less than 0.25% lead allowed).

The State's Lead and Copper Rule requires that water operators create a plumbing material inventory. If you know what your in-home plumbing material is, please call (248) 858-0958 or email WRCwater@oakgov.com.

More information about lead can be found at www.michigan.gov/mileadsafe.

The water pressure delivered to your home depends on the location of your home within the water system's elevation.

Please call (248) 858-0958 or email WRCwater@oakgov.com for more information.

Discolored water occurs when normally settled sediment on the bottom of the watermain gets stirred up. This can happen when sprinklers are turned on in the spring or when a fire hydrant is used. Water maintenance staff flush and sample hydrants after main breaks, which can also cause discolored water. This water is not a health risk, but we do understand it is unpleasant. The best thing you can do is to refrain from using the water inside your home until the system settles down again. Typically, the water will settle after about two hours. To prevent the discolored water from flowing through your entire system:

• Run cold water at an outside hose bib or at a faucet near your water meter until it clears.
• Then flush the faucets inside your home from the one closest to your meter and out.

Outdoor water use consumes a large volume of water. There are ways to reduce and use the water wisely.

• Sweep driveways, sidewalks and steps rather than hosing them off.
• Control hose flow with an automatic shutoff nozzle, remove nozzle after use.
• Wash vehicles where run off is utilized by plants rather than discharging into storm drains.
• Use mulch around trees, shrubs and in the garden.
• Use plants that are adapted to our location, they require less water.

A service line is the portion of pipe that connects a home to the water main. The image below shows
the portion of the service line which is public (owned by the City) and the portion which is private (owned
by the homeowner). A service line verification program is a program that randomly selects homes in the
water system to determine the material the water service line is made of. Following the completion of
the verifications, the program will use the results from the verified service lines to create a distribution
system materials inventory that identifies the material of all service lines in the distribution system. 

A service line verification program is required because it is a critical starting point for protecting consumers from lead in drinking water. In 2018, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) published a new Lead and Copper Rule that includes this requirement.

Some water suppliers have incomplete service line records. In that case, municipalities may not know which houses have a lead service line and which ones do not. Completing a service line verification
program and afterwards a service line materials inventory will allow water suppliers to let consumers know if they have a lead service line. Knowing the material of your service line allows you to take precautions in your home. The inventory is necessary for water suppliers to plan and implement lead service line removal programs in order to meet State requirements. It also identifies buildings that meet criteria to include in a water supply’s Lead and Copper Rule sampling pool.

It’s being done by randomly selecting about 1 in 50 locations in the City of Pontiac, per State requirements, to have their water service line material verified. These randomly selected locations will receive a letter in the mail with detailed instructions on how to participate in the program. Given the random selection, your neighbors are unlikely to receive the same letter in the mail. According to the State guidance documents, the small number of randomly selected services can be used to validate the County’s material information for the remaining service lines in the City.

It’s free. No expense will be incurred by the City of Pontiac’s water customers. The Oakland County
Water Resources Commissioner (WRC) was awarded a Drinking Water Asset Management grant from the
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). These grant funds will be utilized
to fulfill the State’s requirements.

Yes! The WRC is welcoming volunteers to participate in the program. If you, or someone you know
who lives in the City of Pontiac, is interested in participating, please call Janice Strine from Hubbell, Roth
& Clark, Inc. (HRC), the County’s consulting engineering firm, at 248-454-6320 to volunteer or for
additional information.