The rapid expansion of public infrastructure in the 20th century brought drinking water into the homes of millions of Americans. As each new home was connected to the invisible labyrinth of pipes, a particularly durable material was often used: lead. In the following decades, lead has been shown to pose a serious health risk for children, damaging their brain development and ability to learn. The use of lead pipes in drinking water was banned in 1986, but for a country with an estimated 9.2 million of them still hiding underground, the bill is finally coming due.
The Push to Replace Pipes
Replacing a lead service line (LSL) can be challenging and expensive. In some cases, building records may not specify the material used to connect the house to a water main, or in other instances, the records might not even exist at all. Additionally, while the utility may have information about the public side of the line, it might differ from the private side that was originally installed with the house. Replacing a full LSL may therefore require getting consent from the homeowner to dig up their yard or driveway, sometimes at their own expense. Many public water systems have also taken a centralized approach, using strategies at their water treatment facilities to help prevent pipes in the system from corroding and releasing lead into the drinking water flowing through them.
After the lead crisis in Flint, Michigan brought national attention to this issue in 2014, it was clear that a permanent solution was needed: total replacement of lead pipes. The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) passed in 2021 included $15 billion in funding for five years of LSL replacement efforts. In 2024, the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements set requirements for communities to replace all of their LSLs within 10 years. The total cost of replacement nationwide estimated by Brookings is between $28 billion and $47 billion.
Footing the Bill
Multiple grants and loans are available from federal, state, and local sources to fund LSL replacements for both utilities and homeowners. While each state may offer different programs, some notable nationwide funding programs sponsored by EPA and other federal agencies include:
- Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRF) provide financial incentives for municipally and privately owned public water systems to undertake needed drinking water infrastructure improvements. This includes funding for LSL identification, testing, education, and replacement (of both public and private sides).
- Small, Underserved, and Disadvantaged Communities Grants help public water systems serving less than 10,000 people and lacking financial capacity to meet drinking water quality standards. These funds are non-competitive and administered through states.
- Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Grants aim to reduce the sources of high lead concentration in drinking water through infrastructure and treatment improvements for disadvantaged communities.
- Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) invests in water infrastructure through long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for projects that are regionally and nationally significant.
- HUD Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) provide funds to eligible small communities and non-urban counties to address drinking water, clean water, and stormwater activities to principally benefit low and moderate income people.
States distribute DWSRF funds according to their own financing programs and have additional statewide opportunities to facilitate lead removal. For example, some municipalities offer homeowners the ability to spread the cost of LSL replacement over multiple years on their taxes. Most states also have programs specifically for communities that are considered historically disadvantaged, giving them priority and eligibility for zero- or low-interest loans.
In addition to securing funding, it is important for public water systems to reduce the overall costs of replacing LSLs wherever possible. Some strategies that have been used include:
- Replacing LSLs during other infrastructure projects, like water main improvements
- Gaining efficiency from worker experience and the development of best practices
- Collecting customer surveys with self-identification of service line materials
- Requiring LSL disclosure as part of real estate and tenant transfers
Getting Assistance
Replacing all of the lead pipes across the country in the next decade is a challenging task, but will have substantial benefits to both public health and the economic outcomes of every household. An unprecedented amount of funding is available to make this goal a reality. Contact us today if you need help navigating the different options and we will find one that works for you!