City Begins Work on Lead Water Service Line Replacement Project

Effort is Part of City's Lead Safe Lincoln Initiative

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Meg McCollister, Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 Administrator, today kicked off the first phase of the City's lead water service line replacement program in Lincoln's Woods Park Neighborhood. This project is part of the Lead Safe Lincoln Initiative.

"Thanks to historic federal resources and strong partnerships with EPA and State of Nebraska, the City of Lincoln is leading the way toward making every water service line in our community free of lead and providing safe, healthy water for our children and families for years to come," said Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird.

The City announced the lead water service line replacement program in February. The City has begun work to replace nearly 2,000 lead service lines in Lincoln over the next five years, with the first 200 homes expected to be serviced by July 2025. This program is voluntary, and there is no cost to the property owners for the line replacement service.

Water service lines are smaller, privately owned pipelines that connect a home or business to the City's public water main located under the street. The City will contact property owners via mail and will schedule in-home inspections prior to the work. A City-contracted plumbing company will complete the replacement work.

Joining Mayor Gaylor Baird and Administrator McCollister at the news conference were Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) Director Liz Elliott, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) Interim Director Thad Fineran, and Woods Park Neighborhood homeowner Lisa Thompson.

Director Elliott said the initial properties to be served, such as those in the Woods Park Neighborhood, were identified using criteria recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency. They include property records, blood lead levels in children, social vulnerability data, and the risk of lead exposure due to the amount of lead in service lines.

"The City's Lead Service Line Replacement Program is key to reducing property owners' exposure to lead and may also help increase the property's overall value. On average, a single water service line replacement can cost a homeowner $5,000 to $10,000," Elliott said.

To date, Elliott added, 125 property owners have signed up for the program, including homeowners in the Woods Park, North Bottoms, Downtown, Hawley, and Malone neighborhoods.

"Today, I had the chance to see firsthand how EPA's historic water infrastructure funding is improving the everyday lives of Nebraskans," Administrator McCollister said. "We are thankful for the opportunity to celebrate this milestone with Lincoln and look forward to all the important work to follow. Lincoln's commendable and important steps to reduce lead exposure serve as a model for communities across our region."

Homeowner Lisa Thompson is one of the first property owners to sign up and receive a lead service line replacement through the Lead Service Line Replacement Program. She said without the program, she would not have been able to afford the replacement on her own.

"I was thrilled to find out that the City's Lead Service Line Replacement Program pays for the entire replacement," Thompson said. "There is no catch. No co-pay. And I even get a $100 credit on my water bill to help take care of my grass. A triple bonus. I am grateful to live in a city that is so proactive and takes steps to care for its residents to help ensure safe access to water for all."

Interim Director Fineran noted that the City of Lincoln was one of the first communities in Nebraska to take advantage of this funding source. Fineran said he hopes other communities in Nebraska will follow Lincoln's lead and take advantage of this financial assistance for lead service line replacement work.

The program is part of the City of Lincoln's Lead Safe Lincoln initiative, launched in 2022 to proactively prevent community members' exposure to lead.

In May, the EPA announced the latest allotment of more than $28 million, being funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to help Nebraska identify and replace old lead service lines. Over the past three years, more than $85 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for lead service line replacements has been allotted to Nebraska's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

The service line replacement project is part of a multi-year program made possible through a $32.6 million loan from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

Funds from NDEE are expected to cover the cost of about 2,000 service line replacements over the next five years.

For more information and to determine whether your property service line is lead or galvanized, visit the Lead Service Line Replacement website at Lead Safe Lincoln - City of Lincoln, NE.