Detroit Lead Service Line Replacement Program
City of Detroit serves about 633,218 people and reported 80,595 lead and 120 galvanized service lines that must be replaced, out of 251,531 lines, in EPA's Q3 2026 inventory, plus 39,073 lines of unknown material. Here's who pays to replace yours, what it costs, and how to sign up.
Free, block by block
DWSD replaces lead service lines with copper at no cost to residents, with the owner's or occupant's permission, as it replaces water mains block by block. DWSD contacts residents before work reaches their neighborhood.
How to get it
- Check your address on DWSD's service line map.
- Sign the permission form when DWSD contacts you.
- Call DWSD at 313-267-8000 with questions.
Sources: detroitmi.gov
Lead lines in Detroit
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result EPA lists for this system is 7.5 parts per billion (2025-01 to 2025-12). Under the new federal rule, the action level drops to 10 ppb in 2027. Galvanized lines count if they ever sat downstream of a lead pipe, because they can hold lead particles. Unknown lines must be identified by the utility, and many turn out to be lead.
How Detroit compares: it ranks #4 of 7,556 U.S. water systems and #1 of 319 in Michigan for lead and galvanized lines. 32.1% of its service lines need replacing, compared with 15.5% across Michigan. See the national ranking.
Source: EPA SDWIS Service Line Inventory, Q3 2026 · Utility phone: 313-267-1239 · PWSID MI0001800
Detroit lead service line map: check your address
Every water utility had to publish an inventory of its service lines, and most offer an address lookup map. Start with City of Detroit's official lead program page, which links to its lookup or explains how to get your line checked. The status will be lead, galvanized requiring replacement, non-lead or unknown. If it's unknown, you can usually check the pipe yourself and send the utility a photo.
Communities and ZIP codes served
ZIP codes: 48201, 48202, 48203, 48204, 48205, 48206, 48208, 48209, 48210, 48211, 48212, 48213, 48214, 48215, 48217, 48221, 48223, 48224, 48226, 48227, 48228, 48234, 48235, 48238
Who pays in Michigan?
Michigan has the strongest lead line rule in the country. Since the 2018 revision after the Flint crisis, water suppliers must replace all lead service lines, including the part on private property, by 2041, and they pay for it from system revenue rather than billing the owner directly. Partial replacements are banned except in emergencies. Water suppliers challenged the rule, and the Michigan Court of Claims upheld it in 2019.
The law: Michigan Lead and Copper Rule (Mich. Admin. Code R 325.10604f, revised 2018). Mandatory? Yes. Michigan requires water suppliers to replace every lead service line, including the private side, by 2041. Funding: Utility rates plus Michigan EGLE grants and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loans.
Sources: glelc.squarespace.com, cbsnews.com
Nationwide, EPA's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements require most utilities to replace every lead and galvanized-requiring-replacement line by December 31, 2037, starting November 1, 2027. Utilities must mail a notice every year to each home with a lead, galvanized or unknown line. See the federal timeline.
What would you pay?
Many utility loans are 0% (enter 0). Private loans run higher. Your real price depends on how far the house sits from the street, digging versus trenchless methods, permits and restoration. This is an estimate, not a quote.
Not covered, or can't wait?
Get up to 3 quotes from licensed plumbers who replace service lines in Detroit.
Common questions
Is lead service line replacement free in Detroit?
Free when scheduled. DWSD replaces lead service lines with copper at no cost to residents, with the owner's or occupant's permission, as it replaces water mains block by block.
Is lead service line replacement mandatory in Detroit?
Yes. Michigan requires water suppliers to replace every lead service line, including the private side, by 2041.
How much does it cost to replace a lead service line in Detroit?
If you qualify for Detroit's program, the private side costs you nothing. Most private-side replacements cost about $4,000 to $10,000, and long or difficult lines can run higher. Price depends on the distance from the street to your house, whether the contractor digs a trench or pulls the new pipe through (trenchless), permits, and restoring your lawn, sidewalk or basement wall. That's what you'd pay if you replace it on your own or don't qualify.
How do I know if my home has a lead service line?
Look up your address on City of Detroit's service line inventory or check the letter it mailed you. You can also check the pipe where it enters your basement, usually near the meter: lead is dull gray, soft, and turns shiny silver when you scratch it with a key, and a magnet won't stick. Galvanized steel is gray too, but a magnet sticks to it. See our step-by-step guide.
What if I can't afford to replace my lead line?
Ask City of Detroit about income-based help first; federal money often makes replacement free for low-income owners. Other options are utility payment plans, 0% city loans, state revolving fund programs, property tax assessments and home improvement loans. Our guide on paying for replacement lists them.
Who owns the water service line?
In most U.S. cities the utility owns the pipe from the water main to the curb stop or property line, and the property owner owns the rest, into the house. Some utilities, including Minneapolis and many in St. Louis County, treat the whole line as the owner's. Federal rules now require utilities to replace the whole lead line, not just their part.
Other Michigan programs
Grand Rapids ✓Muskegon ✓Southgate ✓Jackson ✓Saginaw ✓Dearborn ✓Kalamazoo ✓Bay City ✓Muskegon Heights ✓Escanaba ✓
Something out of date? Report a change. We recheck program terms at least once a year.