An estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the U.S. Lead water lines pose an extremely high public safety issue. This has been a known fact for many years, and concern was raised again recently when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released data showing that approximately 9.2 million water lines still need to be replaced.
There has been an abundance of funding available for cities and counties to address this public health issue, so it is disheartening to realize that millions of lead water lines are still delivering water to citizens.
The federal government allocated $15 billion in funding in 2021 to address lead pipe water issues. And recently, the Environmental Defense Fund announced that more than 250 utilities have active lead-service-line replacement programs underway. While progress is being made, questions remain about why more public entities are moving slowly and how long the federal funding support will remain in place.
Since the funding framework for supporting water projects, specifically lead water pipe replacement projects, is currently under review, several states are aggressively urging the Trump Administration to continue the financial funding support for projects to mitigate this public safety issue.
In the meantime, many upcoming lead water line replacement projects will be launched in 2025. These will be large and critically important initiatives. The following future contracting opportunities are examples of what can be expected in 2026.
The federal government allocated $15 billion in funding in 2021 to address lead pipe water issues
City leaders in Detroit, Michigan, will soon launch a $140 million project for a large-scale and city-wide water infrastructure improvement initiative as aging water mains lead service lines are replaced. The project’s scope will include two primary water main replacement packages covering more than 25 miles of distribution pipelines. It will also include five dedicated lead service line replacement projects to remove and replace thousands of residential service connections from the water main. The work will include street restoration, new valves and hydrants, and system pressure improvements to enhance long-term performance. Approximately $20 million has been allocated for each component of work. Construction is expected to begin in July 2026 and continue until July 2028.
Officials at the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) will launch a $114 million systemwide initiative designed to identify and replace lead service lines across its regional water network. The multi-year program will begin with an extensive inventory and field inspection process to locate and classify the materials used for more than 600,000 customer service lines. As strange as it may sound, more than half of the lines are made of unknown materials. The total number of lines to be replaced will be determined by inventory findings, but projections are that thousands of lead or unknown material service connections will require replacements.
Current estimates indicate that the inspection and data collection efforts will continue through 2026, with design and early engineering to ramp up in late 2026 and possibly continue into early 2027. Construction procurements will begin as soon as possible after all other phases are completed.
New York City's lead service line replacement program will launch with a $72 million city-led expansion that will initially target specific neighborhoods in the Bronx before moving on to the Queens and Brooklyn areas. The program, announced in October 2025 and partially funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will standardize design, outreach, and compliance across boroughs while expediting the replacement of lead service lines for public health protections.
As America enters 2026, the nation stands at a crossroads: the scale of the remaining work is enormous, but the momentum appears to be very strong
Some noteworthy components of this work will include uniform design packages, resident outreach programs, coordination of utility and street restoration work, block-by-block mapping, and an inventory of service line materials. Delivery will occur in phases over several years. Currently, the project is in the design stage and construction solicitation documents will be released as design standards and packaging are finalized in 2026. Phased neighborhood work packages will be released beginning in 2026, and more bidding opportunities will follow.
City leaders in Shorewood, Wisconsin, will also launch a project to replace lead infested service lines and aging water mains at a cost of approximately $44 million. The village’s goal is to eliminate all public and private sector lead service lines, but that will take many years. This initial effort will kick start the program. The capital investment that was required to support this water infrastructure project comes from local, state, and federal sources, including an allocation from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Shorewood maintains more than 30 miles of water main lines, and most were installed before 1940. Officials estimate that more than 90% of homes are connected by lead service lines. All the new replacement lines will be copper. Design work is underway, and the selection of a contracting firm will precede the planned construction, which is slated to begin in 2026. Three additional similar phases of work are scheduled for 2027, when 160 lead service lines and two water mains are ready for updating.
As America enters 2026, the nation stands at a crossroads: the scale of the remaining work is enormous, but the momentum appears to be very strong. With federal funding under review and many states pushing for continued support, the next few years will determine whether the country can finally eliminate this long-recognized hazard. What is clear is that every mile of pipe replaced represents a step toward safer communities, healthier families, and a modernized water system in America worthy of public trust.
