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🏛️ Civic guideCleveland · LCRR + BIL funded

Cleveland's lead service line replacement program

Cleveland Water is replacing every lead service line in the city — funded by federal LCRR and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dollars. Here's how to check your address, what to expect, and what your interior galvanized pipes still need afterward.

Step-by-step

  1. 1
    Look up your address in Cleveland Water's lead-service-line inventory

    Go to clevelandwater.com/lead-service-lines and enter your address. If your line is flagged as lead, you're already in the queue. If status is 'unknown', call (216) 664-3130 to request a free curb-stop sample.

  2. 2
    Wait for your scheduled replacement notice

    Cleveland Water schedules in batches by neighborhood, prioritizing pre-1953 housing + environmental-justice areas. You'll get a 30-day mailed notice. No further action required from you to enroll — automatic if your line is in the inventory.

  3. 3
    Replacement day

    Water shut off 4-6 hours. Excavation crew digs from curb to home. Lead pipe replaced with copper or PEX. Old lead pipe is documented + reported to Ohio EPA per LCRR accountability rules.

  4. 4
    Flush your interior plumbing for 30 minutes from every fixture

    Cold water at full pressure. Start at the lowest fixture (basement utility sink) and work up. Replacement disturbs sediment that can carry residual lead. Don't skip this step.

  5. 5
    Test your interior galvanized pipes (if pre-1950 home)

    Pre-1950 Cleveland-area homes (especially Cleveland Heights, Lakewood, Old Brooklyn, Slavic Village, Tremont) often have galvanized supply lines. If brown water persists past 24 hours, schedule a verified Cleveland-area plumber for inspection. Repipe to PEX or copper costs $4,000-$15,000.

  6. 6
    Replace pre-2014 brass faucets

    Old brass faucets can contain up to 8% lead by weight. Modern lead-free faucets (NSF-372 certified) are <0.25% lead per the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act. Combined with NSF-53 certified filter, this reaches bottled-water-grade quality.

Verified Cleveland plumbers for galvanized-pipe follow-up

After Cleveland Water replaces your service line, your next step might be testing or repiping interior galvanized supply lines. These verified Cleveland-area plumbers handle that work.

FAQ

Does my Cleveland home have a lead service line?

Cleveland Water maintains a service line inventory you can search at clevelandwater.com/lead-service-lines using your address. Pre-1953 homes are highest-risk per Ohio EPA. If your line is lead, you'll see it flagged. If unknown, Cleveland Water can pull a sample at the curb stop for free upon request.

Is replacement free in Cleveland?

The customer-side service line is being replaced free under federal Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) funding + Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dollars allocated through Ohio EPA. Cleveland Water is on a 10-year replacement timeline (target: 2034) with priority for environmental-justice neighborhoods. Cleveland Water absorbs both city-side and customer-side replacement costs.

What happens after replacement — is my water lead-free?

Mostly. Your interior plumbing — especially galvanized lines in pre-1950 homes — can still leach. After service-line replacement, Cleveland Water flushes the main; you should flush at full pressure for 30 minutes from every fixture (start at the lowest fixture, work up). Pre-1986 brass faucets can also leach lead — replace with NSF-372 lead-free models. NSF-53 certified pitcher or under-sink filter removes residual lead.

How long does Cleveland Water's replacement take?

Excavation + replacement is 1 day. Cleveland Water schedules in batches by neighborhood, prioritizing pre-1953 housing and environmental-justice areas. You'll get a 30-day mailed notice. Water is shut off 4-6 hours during the work. Post-replacement flushing (yours): 30 minutes per fixture.

I'm a Cleveland renter — what can I do?

Renters can call Cleveland Water at (216) 664-3130 to request curb-stop testing of their address. The program replaces the service to the property regardless of owner-occupier vs rental status. If your landlord is unresponsive after lead is detected, escalate to Cleveland Department of Public Health (216-664-2324) or Cuyahoga County Board of Health (216-201-2000).

Will my water look different after replacement?

Sometimes brown-tinted for 24-72 hours, especially if your interior lines are galvanized. Flush cold water at full pressure for 5-10 minutes from every fixture. If brown water persists past 24 hours, the issue is interior plumbing (galvanized supply lines) — schedule a verified Cleveland-area plumber for inspection. Pre-1950 Cleveland Heights, Lakewood, Old Brooklyn, and Slavic Village homes are most likely to have galvanized supply.

What about lead paint? Is that part of this program?

No — separate. Cuyahoga County's Lead-Safe Cleveland Coalition funds remediation of lead paint hazards (encapsulation, window replacement, soil remediation) through the Lead Safe Home Fund. Apply at leadsafecuyahoga.org or call (216) 201-2000.

How does Cleveland's program differ from Toledo's?

Toledo's program is ARPA-funded and on a faster timeline (~5 years). Cleveland's runs through Ohio EPA's LCRR funding on a 10-year horizon. Both replace service lines free, but Cleveland's interior-pipe testing service is more limited — Toledo offers free testing while Cleveland charges a fee for in-home water testing (call (216) 664-3130 for current rates).

Cleveland civic resources

  • Cleveland Water lead-line lookup: clevelandwater.com/lead-service-lines
  • Cleveland Water hotline: (216) 664-3130
  • Cleveland Department of Public Health: (216) 664-2324
  • Cuyahoga County Board of Health: (216) 201-2000
  • Lead Safe Cuyahoga (paint hazards): leadsafecuyahoga.org
  • EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 1-800-426-4791
Toledo lead-line program →Cuyahoga County hub →
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