Building Trust Through the Airwaves: How Benton Harbor Used Community Radio to Tackle Lead Pipe Replacement

In Benton Harbor, MI, the community-based organization Benton Harbor Solutions hosted a community-led radio show that shared information on city efforts to replace lead service lines in a non-traditional way to the community while simultaneously aiming to build trust between external entities and the community. For example, in November and December 2021, the EPA completed three separate water filtration studies to ensure the efficacy of the removal and reduction of lead in drinking water. Once the results were released in March 2022, Benton Harbor Solutions hosted EPA staff to convey the results effectively.