Remove Lead Water Lines from Your Property

The water service line is the pipe that connects the City’s water main to your property and supplies fresh water to your home.

Ownership is split between the City and the owner of the property. The City owns the portion of the service line from the water main to the curb stop valve near your property boundary. The property owner owns and is responsible for the rest of the service line, from the curb stop to the home.

City Utilities’ water is safe and lead-free. However, some older homes are connected to the public water mains by lead service lines. We would like to get these replaced with a safer material.  You can reduce health risks by signing up for our program and getting your lead line replaced. Or if you would prefer, you can hire a contractor yourself.  If you hire a contractor yourself please let us know so we can replace the public portion of the water service line too.

Please take the short Property Owner Survey for a step by step guide to see if you have a lead pipe.

If you are in one of our ongoing project areas, the cost is no more than $2,600.  You will be notified of the actual cost before work begins if you are located in one of these areas.

If you want to sign up with City Utilities to have the work done and you’re not in one of our project areas, the base cost is $3,500.

Financing and low-income assistance are available for residential properties in project areas and non-project areas.

If no lead or galvanized service line is found, no work will be performed on your water service line, and you will not be required to pay anything.

We need to get a picture of the pipe that enters your home. We share this with the contractor in advance so they have a better idea what work is required to replace. Please take the short Property Owner Survey to provide us these pictures.

Replacement of the line usually takes around 4 hours.

You will be contacted before the service line is replaced to discuss the process, including any steps needed to allow the contractor to access your service line.

No, we do not reimburse for private work outside City Utilities’ lead replacement program.

On almost all replacements we can use directional drilling. Directional drilling makes a tunnel underground between holes to avoid digging a trench through the entire yard. There is still a hole required near the shutoff valve, usually located between the sidewalk and the road. There is also a hole located at the water main, usually located under the road.  Depending on the contractor’s methods, they may need to open a hole near the home. Some do not open a hole near the home at all.

Our lead replacement program only replaces service lines, which run between the public water main and your water meter. If you have a leak on a lead service line, we may be able prioritize your replacement. If the leak is not on lead pipe, or if the leak is past the meter, our program cannot help and we would recommend calling several plumbers for quotes.

We realize that it may not be possible to replace the private portion. However, pricing may change and financial assistance may not be available at a later date.

If City Utilities is doing water main replacement projects in areas with lead service lines, City Utilities will replace the utility-owned portion of the service line as part of the water main replacement project. If only the utility-owned portion of the service line is replaced, we recommend flushing your pipes as the level of lead in household tap water may likely increase for a period. This increase in lead levels results from pipes being disturbed during the partial replacement. Lead may also continue to be released into the water from lead or galvanized pipes inside a building, or it may come from other sources of lead in the plumbing such as lead solder, if these have not been removed or replaced as part of the service line replacement.

How To Flush Pipes

1. Remove faucet aerators from all water taps in the home.
2. At the faucet nearest to the water meter, turn the cold water faucet on fully. Let the water run for 5 minutes and shut off the water before moving to the next tap.
3. Repeat this procedure at the remaining faucets throughout the home or business from the lowest level to the last faucet on the top floor. It is essential to run water in all bathtubs, showers, and sinks.
4. Customers should not consume tap water, open hot water faucets, or use ice-maker or filtered water dispensers until flushing is complete.
5. Remove and clean faucet aerators and reinstall them on the faucet.

Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can lead to new learning and behavior problems or worsen existing learning and behavior problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have increased risk of these negative health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney, or nervous system problems.

Water produced at the Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant and traveling through City Utilities’ pipes is lead-free, but service lines on personal property or plumbing in homes can sometimes create the potential for lead to be introduced into the water. City Utilities regularly tests water from taps in homes that are likely to have lead plumbing or have a lead water service line, and we will continue to do so on an annual basis.