BlueConduit Launches New Software to Locate and Replace Lead Service Lines

(ANN ARBOR, Mich.) – BlueConduit, a water infrastructure and asset modernization industry leader, launched its machine-learning software to locate lead service lines (LSLs) in cities in the United States and Canada. The company’s proprietary software reduces total time people are exposed to lead, maximizes available funding by helping remove all LSLs efficiently, and analyzes risk so cities know which resident homes need to be serviced first.

“BlueConduit’s AI technology and data-driven approach has helped city officials proactively address lead pipes and help simplify a complex process, making residents safe and happy. It also saves taxpayers and utilities money,” said Eric Schwartz, co-founder of BlueConduit. “BlueConduit was the first to develop this method and we have been inventorying and identifying lead service lines since 2016.”

The company has completed the most predictions and analysis, making its software the most accurate. Available to cities, water utilities and engineering companies, BlueConduit has helped more than 50 U.S. cities, including Flint, Detroit, Trenton, and Toledo, save hundreds of millions of dollars. BlueConduit has inventoried over 1 million service lines which serve over 2 million people.

Most recently, the City of South Bend, Indiana, contracted with Blue Conduit to create an inventory of its lead service lines.

“Since property owners in South Bend own the water lateral from the main to the home or business, the City has few records on service line materials,” says Michelle Smith, director of water quality for the City of South Bend. “We are excited to work with BlueConduit’s service line predictions platform to identify where lead service lines exist so we can proactively educate our customers and develop a plan to replace them.”

BlueConduit’s software takes current data about lead pipes, formulates an inspection plan to verify what is known and unknown, and makes predictions of presence of the lead service lines. It provides real-time maps on a dashboard to water utility managers and the consumers can see progress on lead pipe replacements in their community.

The BlueConduit platform offers utilities and their residents:

1. Estimates of Lead Service Lines in water systems across the nation with predictions powered by BlueConduit’s machine learning algorithms. Estimates available here.
2. BlueConduit Free, which allows cities to upload service materials and data for a free inventory report, including a system-level LSL count estimate and public-facing LSL map.
3. BlueConduit Pro, which is an annual subscription and includes advanced service line-level predictions for LSLs and a replacement plan; tracking dashboard for the utilities, cities and states; compliance such as residential water sampling; field data collection; resident communications; and public-facing map.

Learn how BlueConduit’s technology helps cities comply with the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions.