LANSING, MI (AP)-- A state board has approved about $423,000 for a Flint consulting firm to map the city's pipes and remove some lead pipes.
The contract approved Tuesday by the State Administrative Board runs through 2016. Rowe Professional Services is overseeing the work on uprooting the first round of 30 lead pipes.
The contract includes a water infrastructure reliability study.
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality spokeswoman Melanie Brown says officials are hopeful that the initial pipe removal project is nearing completion.
Corrosive water from the Flint River caused lead to leach from old pipes and contaminate tap water.
