Hydrovac & Hydro Excavation in Flint
Flint dug up and checked 29,777 water service lines during its lead pipe replacement program. Few Michigan cities have had their underground infrastructure opened up as extensively.
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Hydro excavation in Flint
Flint, the Genesee County seat, had 81,252 residents in the 2020 census. Its housing is old: about 85% of homes were built before 1960.
| Flint housing age (ACS 2020–2024 estimates) | |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1954 |
| Built before 1940 | 25% |
| Built before 1960 | 85% |
| Built 2000 or later | 2% |
After the lead service line program
Under the NRDC/Concerned Pastors settlement, the City of Flint completed 29,777 service line excavations and identifications, replacing 10,529 lead or galvanized lines. The rest were copper. The state and NRDC reported in July 2025 that the lead lines covered by the agreement had been replaced. EGLE says about 98% of residential lead lines are done, and contractors are still addressing lines that opted out or were found later through the city's service line inventory. That remaining work, plus commercial and multi-family service lines, is the kind of small, precise excavation a hydrovac handles well.
A second water main
Flint gets treated water from the Great Lakes Water Authority. With federal WIIN funding, the city built a 5.5-mile, 36-inch water main between the Genesee County water system and the Flint water treatment plant as a backup source. Large transmission mains like this deserve careful potholing and coordination with the owner when you work nearby.
Vacant lots and old records
Flint has demolished thousands of abandoned homes. Demolition sites can leave service stubs, curb boxes, and old laterals behind, and records may not match what's actually in the ground. On redevelopment sites, plan to verify by exposure rather than relying on maps.
Typical Flint-area requests
- Service line and curb stop exposure for remaining replacements and inventory checks
- Potholing ahead of water main, road, and fiber work
- Utility verification on redevelopment and demolition sites
- Catch basin and sewer structure cleanouts
Sources: City of Flint, May 29, 2024; EGLE, Sept. 10, 2025; EPA: Flint WIIN project summary; Census Reporter: Flint housing (ACS 2020–2024); Wikipedia: Flint, Michigan.
Other Michigan city guides: Grand Rapids · Detroit · Lansing · Ann Arbor · Kalamazoo · Saginaw · Traverse City · Muskegon · Holland · Battle Creek · Troy · Novi
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