Greater Cincinnati Water Works replaced more than 1,600 lead service lines over the past year, about 30% more than the year before and more than any previous year.
The utility is ramping up the lead pipe program to meet new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations, which require replacing at least 10% of remaining lead lines every year starting in 2028.
"We anticipate about 30,000 lead service lines remaining at that time," said Kevin Kappers, GCWW lead program manager. "So we have to replace 10% per year from then on — around 3,000 per year."
Lead poisoning is especially risky for young children, who can experience developmental problems. Lead paint is the primary source of lead ingestion, but water service lines can contribute.
The utility uses treatment practices that reduce the risk of lead leaching into drinking water, meaning water going through lead lines is likely safe.
"But it's not perfect," Kappers said. "It can get disturbed if there's construction activity, remodeling; it can disturb that barrier. So this is a proactive approach to just remove that risk entirely."
How Water Works is replacing lines
A lead service line refers to the pipes that transport water from the water main into homes (not pipes inside a home). GCWW's service area has about 33,500 lead service lines on the privately owned side; of those, about 9,500 also have lead pipes on the publicly owned side. All lead lines, public and private, have to be replaced.
Water Works has started using a prioritization model to decide which ones to replace first. The model was developed by researchers at the University of Cincinnati; it looks at where people are at higher risk for lead poisoning based on data — like how many young children live in the area — plus factors like income and the availability of fresh food.
"We have a project that's just wrapping up that was one of our first using the prioritization model; that's over at the edge of East Price Hill and West Price Hill," Kappers said. "And then we are just kicking off a project in Evanston that's going to get started in the next few weeks."
How to find out if your line needs to be replaced
GCWW no longer has a waitlist for customers requesting lead service line replacement. But any customer can request a free water test, and if the results show anything concerning, the utility can prioritize that home for replacement.
It can take one to two months to receive a test kit and get the results back. Learn more on the utility's web site.
You also can use an at-home water filter certified to remove lead from drinking water. Learn more from the EPA below or at this link.
If you get your water from Greater Cincinnati Water Works, you can look up your address on their interactive map to see if you have lead lines or not.
No matter where you live, you can use this step-by-step guide from the EPA to identify the material your service lines are made from.
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