Water Service Line Verification Program

What is the 

Water Service Verification Program?

The City of Berkley is required to provide the State with an updated material inventory on all water service lines (WSLs). 

Per the State’s guidelines, properties have been randomly selected for physical verification of the WSL material. To complete WSL material verification, the materials are required to be verified at two locations: "In-Home" and "Outside" the property (see image below).

Water Service Line Verification Process

1. Determining the “In-Home” Service Line Material

  • The “In-Home” material can be found inside your home where the water service line enters
    the basement, crawl space, or slab just before the meter (see example image).
  • Residents can schedule an appointment with our Public Works Department (DPW) to enter their residence and complete an inspection of the water service line to determine the material. DPW will be conducting these inspections starting in March 2023. Appointments are available Monday - Saturday.

2. Determining the “Outside” Service Line Material

  • The "Outside" service line material will be determined by a DPW staff member once the "in-home" inspection is complete. The "Outside" material inspections will begin in the Spring/Summer of 2023.
  • The "Outside" material must be verified on each side of the curb box, near the sidewalk (see example image). It requires two small excavations on each side of your curb box. These excavations are approximately 16 inches in diameter and are usually about 4-5 feet deep. Once the material is verified, the area disturbed by the work will be restored, which will be done by the city. You do not need to be present for this outside verification and water service to your home will not be disrupted during the completion of the outside verification. Flags to mark underground utilities will be placed in your yard to avoid service disruptions during the verification process.

Is There A Cost?

The City was awarded a Local Government Critical Infrastructure grant from the Oakland County Board of Commissioners. These grant funds will offset approximately 1/2 of the total cost to fulfill the State's requirements and no additional costs will be charged to you directly.

Why Was My Home Selected?

About 1 in 10 locations in the City of Berkley are required to have their water service line material verified, and yours was selected randomly. Per State guidance, the small number of randomly selected services is used to validate the City's information on the remaining service lines in the City.

Questions?

Contact DPW at 248-658-3490 or email publicworks@berkleymich.net