Is there lead in your pipes? Columbus officials want to replace them for you

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Despite not allowing lead in its service lines for decades, Columbus still has lead lines in use on both public and private property, and a city program is seeking to change that.

In 1963, Columbus stopped using lead as an approved material in its service lines. However, there are around 25,000 lead service lines still active in the city, according to the water division, and another 12,500 lines galvanized downstream of lead, which are considered lead-contaminated.

"We treat the water really, really effectively," Emilie Eskridge of the water division said. "Just because you have a lead service line, just because you have a galvanized service line, doesn't mean there's lead in your water. We do a really good job of effective treatment, but the existence is still there."

Last week, Columbus City Council approved a pilot program to replace lead service lines. It's the first step toward a larger program to replace them all.

"Sadly, there are still lines that were built before [1963] that are still in place," Councilmember Chris Wyche said. "So, the pilot is necessary, really to give our department a chance to learn best practices before diving into the much larger project."

The pilot program is estimated to cost around $2.9 million, with the overall program estimated to cost around $1.3 billion.

Eskridge said there are about 25,000 lead service lines and another 12,500 galvanized service lines in use. But the number can be hard to track, especially on private property. The city is working to make an inventory of all service line materials in the city.

"One of the things we have out is a self-assessment survey," Eskridge said. "We don't always know what the material is, and so we're asking homeowners to turn that material in to us."

Wyche said the city is looking for private homeowners for the pilot program, which needs to be completed by the end of 2025. After, the citywide program will be rolled out with a proposed goal date of 2037.

For questions or to request a copy of the survey, call 614-645-7691.