A Look at the Real Cost of Removing Lead Service Lines
Lead Service Line Replacement in Benton Harbor, MI
Photo: Elin Betanzo
Up to 10 million lead service lines deliver water to homes across the country, where residents essentially drink water through a lead straw every day. Where present, lead service lines (LSLs) are the largest source of lead in drinking water and they provide a constant risk of exposure to lead even in water systems with consistent corrosion control treatment. Although new lead service lines were banned in 1986, there have been no national requirements or funding programs to systematically remove these hazardous pipes from our water systems.
Until now.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal includes $15 billion to remove lead service lines. As we look toward implementation of this groundbreaking program (literally and figuratively), it is important to consider how lead service line replacement programs are planned, the work they include to protect residents during construction, and the necessary costs of completing the work safely. Although $15 billion is not enough to get the job done, it is a much anticipated start. The way we implement lead service line replacement programs now and the cost data we collect will pave the way for future investments as work ramps up in all 50 states.
To get this conversation off the ground, and with funding from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Safe Water Engineering prepared a white paper, Deconstructing the Cost of Lead Service Line Replacement, to describe and quantify the cost of bold, large scale lead service line replacement (LSLR) programs that include resident-focused outreach and risk mitigation activities.
The cost benchmarking outlined within the paper is intended to assist in the proper planning and funding of these types of programs. While regional differences in construction and state requirements will require some variation in implementation across the country, this paper describes the essential functions that need to be wrapped into planning to ensure work proceeds smoothly and protects residents.
Now is the perfect time to initiate work on protective LSLR programs. This white paper is a valuable resource that includes historical context, definitions, different strategies for lead service line replacement, essential components of LSLR programs, and real cost data from forward looking programs
Read the executive summary here.
Read the full white paper here.