Top 10 cities with the most lead pipes

Roya Alkafaji, Manager, Healthy Communities and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative

EDF identified 10 cities in the U.S. with the most lead service lines (LSLs) based on numbers reported in 2021.[1] These cities collectively have over one million LSLs, representing 12% of the 9.2 million EPA estimates are in the country.

Below we rank each city from most LSLs to fewest, and briefly describe the progress each city has made toward LSL replacement. Some have robust programs, while others have yet to start addressing the problem.

The List

1. Chicago, IL

Chicago Department of Water Management reported 387,095 LSLs in 2021, more than twice as many as the next city on this list. Three-quarters of its service lines are LSLs, and virtually all the rest are of unknown material. City ordinance actually mandated that LSLs be installed until the federal government banned them in 1986.

Decades later, Chicago is struggling to pull itself out of a deep hole relative to most other large cities that took earlier action against lead pipes. Chicago has a small LSL replacement program but applied for a $336 million loan from EPA in 2020[2] and $8 million in state revolving funds (SRF) from Illinois EPA in 2023 to accelerate the effort.

2. Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Water reported 185,409 LSLs in 2021, about 43% of all its service lines.

The utility has a small LSL replacement program but is seeking more than $63 million in federal infrastructure funding from Ohio EPA in 2023 to accelerate the effort.

3. New York, NY

New York City reported 137,542 LSLs in 2021 and an additional 230,870 lines that are of unknown material. About 43% of the city’s service lines are lead or of unknown material.

It has a small LSL replacement program and is seeking more than $58 million in federal infrastructure funding from New York State DEP in 2023 to accelerate the effort.

4. Detroit, MI

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department reported 79,617 LSLs in 2021 and an additional 28,922 lines that are of unknown material. About one-third of its service lines are lead or of unknown material.

With support from the Detroit mayor and funding from the State and EPA, the utility has an excellent LSL replacement program that is designed to replace 5,000 lines in 2023 and ramp up to 10,000 per year starting in 2024.

5. Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Water Works reported 74,099 LSLs in 2021, about 45% of its service lines.

The utility has a modest LSL replacement program that replaced 1,200 LSLs in 2023 and aims to ramp up to 2,200 replacements by 2025. They are seeking more than $16 million in federal infrastructure funding from Wisconsin DNR in 2023 to accelerate the effort.

6. Denver, CO

Denver Water reported 63,955 LSLs in 2021 and an additional 8,791 service lines that are of unknown material. About one-quarter of its service lines are lead or of unknown material.

The utility has a model LSL replacement program that replaced 5,000 lines in 2022, ramping up to more than 8,000 per year starting in 2023. The program’s success would likely move Denver down to 9th place on the list.

7. St. Louis, MO

City of St. Louis Water Division reported 63,000 LSLs in 2021. About half of its service lines are lead.

The city does not appear to have an active LSL replacement program according to its website or applied for funding from Missouri’s SRF program.

8. Indianapolis, IN

Citizens Energy Group reported 55,060 LSLs in 2021 and an additional 20,000 lines that are of unknown material. About 20% of the city’s service lines are lead or of unknown material.

The utility currently has a modest LSL replacement program and has requested $95.7 million in federal infrastructure funding from Indiana Finance Authority in 2023 to accelerate the effort.

9. Minneapolis, MN

Minneapolis reported 48,502 LSLs in 2021 and an additional 3,906 lines that are of unknown material. About half of the city’s service lines are lead or of unknown material.

The city currently has a small LSL replacement program but is seeking more than $49 million in federal infrastructure funding from Minnesota Public Facilities Authority in 2023 to accelerate the effort. It is expected to receive a significant share of the $240 million in state funding over the next ten years to remove lead pipes.

10. Cincinnati, OH

Greater Cincinnati Water Works reported 40,214 LSLs in 2021 and an additional 2,863 that are of unknown material. About 18% of its service lines are lead or of unknown material.

The utility has a model LSL replacement program that replaces about 2,000 lines a year and plans to ramp up in 2023. Based on its 2022 success, updated reporting would likely push the utility out of the top 10 list.

Why It Matters

If we are to make significant progress toward reaching the White House’s goal of eliminating LSLs by 2032, utilities in these cities must deliver results.

Next Steps

In the coming years, we will focus our advocacy on accelerating LSL replacement in these 10 cities by highlighting progress and problems and engaging community leaders and local elected officials.

 

[1] Reporting based on utility responses to 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Assessment Survey available as of May 13, 2023, in response to a FOIA request by NRDC. Data for New York City was exported from NYC OpenData’s LSL Location Coordinates on July 7, 2021 and counted service lines designated as potential lead as lead.

[2] Chicago Department of Water Management has applied for a $336 million loan from EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program to replace LSLs and water mains.

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