Ohio Lead Service Line Replacement Programs

Ohio water systems reported 267,041 lead and 55,432 galvanized service lines that must be replaced (EPA, Q3 2026). Below: the state rule on who pays, and every Ohio utility with at least 1,000 such lines or a confirmed program.

Each utility decides

Federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, enforced by Ohio EPA

Ohio has no state law that makes utilities pay for the private side, so each city sets its own policy. The results range widely: Cincinnati and Columbus replace for free, Cleveland covers the private side when it works on the public side, and Dayton leaves the cost to owners. Ohio EPA passes federal money to cities as principal forgiveness through its Water Supply Revolving Loan Account.

Mandatory? No state law requires owners to replace, but the federal rule requires utilities to replace all lead lines by 2037.

Funding: Ohio EPA Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (federal lead line money with principal forgiveness).

Sources: epa.ohio.gov

Utilities listed29

Free programs12

Other programs6

Not yet confirmed11

Utility	Lead	Galv.	Program
Cleveland Cleveland Public Water System	144,193	528	Free when scheduled
Cincinnati Cincinnati Public Water System	34,673	44	Free
Columbus Columbus Public Water System	25,155	8,093	Free
Dayton Dayton Public Water System	8,588	937	Owner pays
Toledo City of Toledo	3,053	6,374	Free if eligible
Akron Akron City PWS	1,683	7,389	Owner pays
Sandusky Sandusky City	6,676	50	Utility program
Middletown Middletown City PWS	4,143	258	Not confirmed
Hamilton Hamilton Public Water System	4,156	11	Utility program
Lakewood Lakewood City PWS	3,645	392	Free when scheduled
Marion (Aqua Ohio) Aqua Ohio - Marion	3,371	228	Free when scheduled
Springfield Springfield City PWS	423	2,931	Cost share
Youngstown Youngstown City PWS	1,308	1,450	Utility program
Lima Lima City	2,713	19	Free
Canton Canton Public Water System	0	2,453	Not confirmed
Newark Newark City PWS	0	2,420	Free
Lancaster Lancaster City PWS	0	2,349	Not confirmed
Tiffin (Aqua Ohio) Aqua Ohio - Tiffin	2,012	152	Free when scheduled
Greenville Greenville City PWS	2,046	65	Not confirmed
Delphos Delphos City	1,938	2	Not confirmed
Warren Warren City PWS	1,727	129	Not confirmed
Fostoria Fostoria City	1,684	4	Not confirmed
Alliance Alliance City PWS	1,664	0	Not confirmed
Coshocton Coshocton PWS	0	1,413	Not confirmed
Urbana Urbana City PWS	24	1,268	Not confirmed
Massillon (Aqua Ohio) Aqua Ohio - Massillon PWS	0	1,119	Free when scheduled
Ashtabula (Aqua Ohio) Aqua Ohio - Ashtabula	195	880	Free when scheduled
Cuyahoga Falls Cuyahoga Falls City PWS	1,014	57	Not confirmed
Struthers (Aqua Ohio) Aqua Ohio - Struthers	88	388	Free when scheduled

Compare: lead lines in every state · cities with the most lead pipes · free programs in Ohio

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Common questions

Who pays to replace lead service lines in Ohio?

Is lead service line replacement mandatory in Ohio?

No state law requires owners to replace, but the federal rule requires utilities to replace all lead lines by 2037.

How many lead service lines are in Ohio?

Water systems in Ohio reported 267,041 lead service lines, 55,432 galvanized lines that need replacement and 771,992 lines of unknown material to EPA (Q3 2026), across 304 reporting systems.

Where can I get help paying in Ohio?

Start with your water utility's program; the table on this page shows what we've confirmed. State money flows through: Ohio EPA Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (federal lead line money with principal forgiveness). If your utility has no program, see our guide to paying for replacement.