Lead Water Main Replacement Cost
Lead pipe replacement costs anywhere between $2,500 – $10,000 or more. The overall price depends on the length of the pipes and their accessibility. Typically the city pays for replacing the water main, which is the public part of the water service pipe. However, the homeowner pays for replacing the part that runs from the mainline into their home. Many programs and grants are now available to aid a homeowner with the cost of the replacement.
Regulations
In 1984, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the first edition of Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality (GDWQ) to replace the 1970 European Drinking-Water Standards and 1971 International Drinking-Water Standards. Therefore, based on an assumption about various sources of lead intake and the provisional tolerable weekly intake of 3 mg of lead per adult established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 1972, the publication recommended the limits of contaminants in drinking water, which set the value for lead to not more than 0.05 mg/L.
EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree that there is no known safe level of lead in a child’s blood. Taking action to reduce these exposures can improve outcomes. Lead is harmful to health, especially to children. 
Regulations vary regionally. Some municipalities are strongly advocating the replacement of lead water mains. Some municipalities are even subsidizing the cost of the replacement.
What should you do if your home has lead pipes?
There’s a chance if your home was built before 1950 that you may have lead pipes. If present, the lead from these pipes can leach into the water you drink, posing a health risk over time. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to replace lead pipes within the property’s perimeter and all the way to the public supply. While it is not required by law to replace them, lead from these old-style pipes can leach into your drinking water over time, posing a health risk.
How much does it cost to replace a lead water supply line?
Lead pipe replacement costs anywhere between $2,500 – $10,000 or more. The overall price depends on the length of the pipes and their accessibility.
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Last Updated on 4 years ago
