Lead services lines are plumbing pipes made from lead that connect your home to the main water supply. Though this material was once commonly used, it has been banned since 1986 because of the many health hazards it causes.
Lead-contaminated water is known to compromise the health of anyone who consumes it. It has a severe impact on children and pregnant women, but adults of all ages can be affected. Lead is truly a detriment to society's health, and sadly, many older homes still have lead pipes in their plumbing systems. The only way to eradicate the problem is through a professional.
But this can get pretty costly. The good news is that a few programs are available to help with funding, and this guide will teach you how to find them.
Funding for Lead Service Line Replacement Programs
If you find lead pipes are still present in your home, the challenge to remove them as quickly as possible doesn’t have to be costly. You might be able to take advantage of a few replacement programs to help reduce the cost of lead pipe replacement.
Federal funding sources
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Signed in 2021, this law allocates $15 billion to replacing lead service lines in communities, local governments, non-profit water companies, and investor-owned water utilities.
Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead & Copper Rule: To reduce lead exposure in water, this rule proposes replacing 100% of lead service lines within 10 years.
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: This congress-funded program allocates funds to states in low-interest loans to replace lead service lines.
State and local funding sources
Michigan’s Lead Service Line Replacement Fund: This fund requires homes in Michigan to monitor the levels of lead and copper in their drinking water and replace any lead service lines that are found.
Lead Pipe Replacement Assistance Program: Funding to help cover a portion or all of the lead service lines and connectors belonging to a main water line.
State & Local Funding: If you find lead pipes in your home, contact the water supply department for your area about state-specific funding or programs, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that might be available for lead replacement.
How to find lead service line replacement programs in your area
After identifying lead service lines in your home, know that all hope is not lost. Here’s how to find replacement programs in your area to address the issue immediately.
Contacting local government and utilities
Lead-contaminated water is never a good thing. Get in touch with the following departments and agencies in your home area as fast as you can to get more information on how to go about lead service line replacement:
Water Department or Public Works Department (usually found under city or county pages)
Health Department for Public Health Advisories
Division of Water Resources
Local utility companies that specialize in lead pipe replacements
How to find information online
If you’re struggling to find assistance for lead pipe replacement, turning to the internet can be a good place to start. You can search for agencies in your area or your city’s official website for lead service line replacement or water service replacement programs.
Other than research programs directly, sometimes work of mouth virtually can be a helpful resource, too. Browse local community groups, neighborhood associations, or environmental non-profits online for their top recommendations on funding for lead service lines and reputable professionals.
Lead service line replacement programs in major metro areas
The chart below contains valuable information for lead service replacement programs in metro areas most affected by lead-contaminated water. If you live outside of these cities and have lead service lines in your home, contact the nearest water supplier in your area for funds and programs available to you.
Metro Area | Program Name | Funding Available | Eligibility Requirements | City Department to Contact | Program Website/Resources |
Lead Service Line Replacement Program | Federal and city funds available | Residential properties built pre-1986 | Chicago Department of Water Management | ||
Detroit, MI | Detroit Lead Line Replacement Initiative | EPA & city grants for replacement | High-risk communities prioritized | Detroit Water and Sewerage Department | |
Newark, NJ | Lead Service Line Replacement Program | City-funded; full replacement at no cost | Available for all city residents | Newark Department of Water and Sewer Utilities | |
Milwaukee, WI | Milwaukee Lead Pipe Replacement Program | Partial funding from federal grants | Homes with lead pipes are eligible | Milwaukee Water Works | |
Pittsburgh, PA | PWSA Lead Service Line Replacement Program | State, local, and private funding | Homes with children under 6 | Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority | |
Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia Lead and Copper Replacement | Federal funding; cost-sharing available | Properties built pre-1950 | Philadelphia Water Department | |
Flint, MI | Flint Water Service Replacement Project | Full federal funding due to water crisis | All Flint residents are eligible | Flint Water Department | |
Cleveland Lead Service Line Program | State-funded replacement programs | Homes built before 1980 | Cleveland Division of Water |
Steps to identify lead service lines in your home
If you suspect that there are lead service lines in your home, there are a few tests you can conduct to know for sure. The best is getting your water tested by a certified local laboratory, which does come at a cost, but here are a few homemade tests you can try first to know for sure whether or not you have lead service lines:
Magnet test: Take a magnet from your fridge and hold it up to one of the pipes connected to your main water supply. If the magnet sticks to the pipe, you do not have lead pipes.
Scratch test: Taking a coin, scratch the surface of one of your pipes to see what color is underneath the scratched surface. Lead pipes are usually shiny and silver, so if this is a color you see, the odds are you have lead pipes.
Home water test: Before sending water samples off for accurate testing, you can test your water at home with a home test from the nearest hardware store. These tests ask you to fill a cup with water, insert one of the test strips, and wait at least ten minutes for your result.
If any of these homemade tests come back positive, you have lead pipes in your home, so contact your nearest water supply agency for professional testing. An EPA professional will come to your home to collect a sample before taking it back to a lab for testing.
Find lead service replacement programs in your area
Because lead-contaminated water poses such an incredible health risk to you and everyone in your home, it’s important to take action the second you suspect there are lead lines in your home and advocate for others in your community. Contact your city’s local water department or a water utility company to ask about programs or assistance for replacing your pipes with a safer material to produce clean drinking water.
Frequently asked questions
For the most part, lead pipe replacement isn’t free, but government funding can help reduce the cost with low interest funds. Since there are several programs available, it’s worth it to speak to the water department in your community about the best option available for cost.
How your new pipes are installed depends on where your current lines are. Once professionals remove your current lines, they may dig a trench to install the new lines or conduct what is called a “boring” method. The boring method disconnects the old line (the lead pipes) and leaves it in the ground before pushing in the new material of the new line. The discarded lead pipes stay in the ground and don't affect the new pipes or contaminate your water anymore.
Lead pipes have been around for ages, but it wasn’t until 1986 that the worry about the risk lead poses to health became mainstream. In 1986, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act, which eliminated the use of lead pipes in homes. The problem was that it left existing lead pipes in homes, but since then, government funds have come out to help replace lead pipes left in older homes.