Lead pipes in St. Louis County, Minnesota
How many lead pipes are in St. Louis County, MN?
Water systems based in St. Louis County reported 5,897 lead service lines, 1,069 galvanized lines that need replacing and 14,721 lines of unknown material to EPA (Q3 2026). Duluth has the most, with 5,633 lead and galvanized lines.
Free replacement program confirmed
Who pays in Minnesota
Minnesota set a goal in 2023 to remove every lead service line by 2033 and put $240 million of state money, plus federal funds, into a Public Facilities Authority grant program that covers both public and private costs. As a result the big Minnesota programs, including Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Rochester, replace the private side for free.
Confirmed programs in St. Louis County
- Duluth: Free, auto-enrolled.
Every St. Louis County water system with lead lines
Systems are grouped by the county EPA lists as their main service area. Some serve towns in neighboring counties too.
| Water system | Lead | Galv. | Unknown | Program |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth Duluth | 5,382 | 251 | 2,609 | Free replacement |
| Chisholm Chisholm | 322 | 479 | 58 | Not confirmed |
| Hibbing Hibbing | 152 | 40 | 3,875 | Not confirmed |
| Eveleth Eveleth | 10 | 74 | 1,615 | Not confirmed |
| Virginia Virginia | 0 | 68 | 1,700 | Not confirmed |
| Gilbert Gilbert | 3 | 45 | 154 | Not confirmed |
| Biwabik Biwabik | 23 | 11 | 350 | Not confirmed |
| Ely Ely | 0 | 26 | 650 | Not confirmed |
| Proctor Proctor | 3 | 23 | 932 | Not confirmed |
| Floodwood Floodwood | 0 | 12 | 270 | Not confirmed |
| Mountain Iron Mountain Iron | 0 | 11 | 474 | Not confirmed |
| Cook Cook | 0 | 6 | 2 | Not confirmed |
| Hoyt Lakes Hoyt Lakes | 0 | 6 | 948 | Not confirmed |
| Breitung Breitung | 1 | 5 | 45 | Not confirmed |
| Rice Lake Rice Lake | 1 | 4 | 101 | Not confirmed |
| Aurora Aurora | 0 | 3 | 491 | Not confirmed |
| Buhl Buhl | 0 | 2 | 256 | Not confirmed |
| White Township White Township | 0 | 1 | 75 | Not confirmed |
| Kinney Kinney | 0 | 1 | 58 | Not confirmed |
| McKinley McKinley | 0 | 1 | 58 | Not confirmed |
Systems over the new 10 ppb lead action level
Hibbing (14 ppb, 2026-01 to 2026-06). See all systems over 10 ppb.
Common questions
How many lead pipes are in St. Louis County, MN?
Water systems based in St. Louis County reported 5,897 lead service lines, 1,069 galvanized lines that need replacing and 14,721 lines of unknown material to EPA (Q3 2026). Duluth has the most, with 5,633 lead and galvanized lines.
Who pays to replace lead service lines in St. Louis County?
It depends on your water utility. Minnesota set a goal in 2023 to remove every lead service line by 2033 and put $240 million of state money, plus federal funds, into a Public Facilities Authority grant program that covers both public and private costs. We have confirmed programs for 1 St. Louis County utility, listed on this page.
How do I find out if my house has a lead service line?
Look up your address on your water utility's service line inventory map, or check the pipe where it enters your home: lead is dull gray, soft, scratches to shiny silver, and a magnet won't stick. See our step-by-step guide.
Other Minnesota counties
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