About
LeadOut Map is an educational tool designed to help inform the national conversation about lead in our drinking water.
Who We Are
LeadOut Map’s machine learning technology is powered by BlueConduit, an Ann Arbor-based, privately held water infrastructure analytics company. They specialize in predictive analytics for lead service line identification and replacement.
The data collection and technology design was funded by The Rockefeller Foundation and Google.org. A team of Google employees—researchers, designers, product managers, and software engineers—worked with Blue Conduit on a full-time, pro bono basis to help build the tool through the Google.org Fellowship program.
In addition to the LeadOut Map, BlueConduit, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Google.org have worked together on partnerships to “Get the Lead Out” in the cities of Buffalo and New Orleans.
LeadOut Map is made possible by nonprofit partners who lend their expertise and resources to help ensure the public has the education and tools they need to help protect themselves against lead in drinking water. These partners are the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
Our Story
In 2016, in response to the Flint water crisis, Blue Conduit originated a machine learning approach to predicting lead service lines as a volunteer project with University of Michigan students and faculty. In 2019, due to demand from other cities across the nation, BlueConduit was created as a company. The founders of Blue Conduit have honed their model on more than 100 municipalities nationwide, engaging with under-resourced communities through support from foundations and engaging with other locations on a paid basis.
Over time, BlueConduit has collected data about lead service lines as part of their day-to-day work as a privately held company, working directly with water systems. LeadOut Map is the result of their commitment to the public to make available—for free and in one place—locations of lead service lines, both reported and estimated.