Who pays to replace a lead water pipe?
The pipe has two parts, one owned by the water company and one by the homeowner. Here's how the cost is usually split, and what to ask.
The pipe has two parts, one owned by the water company and one by the homeowner. Here's how the cost is usually split, and what to ask.
The pipe that brings water into a home has two parts: the part under the street, which the water company owns, and the part under the yard, which belongs to whoever owns the home. Who pays depends on the company. Many now replace both parts for free, often street by street, or pay part of the homeowner's share; others still charge for the yard side.
Ask your water company three things: whether it pays for your part, when your street is scheduled, and whether there's money set aside for homeowners on lower incomes.
If you pay to replace your part sooner, tell the water company before the work starts, so it can replace its part at the same time. Replacing only one part, and leaving the other, can briefly raise the lead in your water.