Lead in Michigan city’s tap water declines after rising for three years

Past results in Benton Harbor compelled residents to consume bottled water and prompted a hurried effort to replace old pipes

The amount of lead in Benton Harbor, Michigan's drinking water has declined, new testing shows, after three straight years of elevated results compelled residents to consume bottled water and prompted a hurried effort to replace old pipes.

Lead levels in the majority Black city's drinking water are now just within standards set by the state that if exceeded, force a utility to take corrective action and inform residents of a problem, according to state officials.