Lead Safe Lincoln Program Expands to Four New Neighborhoods
Thank you City of Lincoln and John Heineman
The city has replaced 138 lead pipes leading to homes in three central Lincoln neighborhoods and plans to expand its “Lead Safe Lincoln” program to four new neighborhoods this spring.
“Our work to replace private lead water service lines at no cost to property owners protects our community members’ health and their pocketbooks, as this improvement would otherwise cost homeowners thousands of dollars,” said Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird.
In addition to replacing lead water service lines, city teams also conduct lead testing in children and remove lead from homes through the Lead Safe Lincoln program, which the city launched in 2022, she said.
Pipe replacements began in July in portions of the Woods Park, North Bottoms and Hawley neighborhoods. Of the nearly 200 properties reviewed in those areas, 138 lead and galvanized service lines have been replaced with copper pipe, city officials said. Another 59 homes were assessed and did not need a replacement.
Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott said the city will soon begin contacting the next group of 1,000 property owners in portions of the Everett, Near South, Irvingdale and South Salt Creek neighborhoods.
Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and continue through 2026. The city will contact residents in the Salt Creek Area Neighborhood in 2026 with plans for construction in 2026 and 2027.
The city launched the lead water service line replacement program in February 2024, with the goal to assess and replace nearly 6,000 lead service lines in Lincoln by 2035. The program is voluntary, and there is no cost to the property owners for the line replacement service.
“Replacing your own lead service line can cost a property owner up to $10,000,” Elliott said. “We encourage property owners to take advantage of this program while it’s active in their neighborhood.”
The service line replacement is part of a multi-year program made possible through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided a $32.6 million federal loan to the city that is being managed by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. The loan has no interest and a portion of it can be forgiven.
City officials estimate it will cost $55 million to replace the 6,000 service lines.
Replacement work is concentrated in areas where data shows a greater density of lead and lead-contaminated galvanized steel service lines, elevated blood levels of lead in children, social vulnerability and risk to lead exposure due to the amount of lead in the service line.
Water service lines are smaller, privately owned pipelines that connect a home or business to the city’s public water main located under the street. City staff members contact property owners by mail and schedule in-home inspections prior to the work. A city-contracted plumbing company completes the replacement work.
John Heineman, Near South Neighborhood Association administrative vice president, said the pipe replacement program is especially important in older neighborhoods like the Near South, which have historic homes that can benefit from updated technology.
“In the Near South Neighborhood, we work hard to preserve our old, historic homes,” he said. “This program will help preserve the health and safety of the people who live in those homes well into the future.”
Bernice Polivka, who owns rental property, said that when a water meter went bad on one of her properties, city crews told her they had good and bad news: She had lead pipes, but there was a city program to replace them.
The work took about three hours to complete, she said.
“It was very efficient,” she said. “The whole process was pretty pain free. ... I’m very grateful for this program. It gives me peace as a property owner that my tenant has safe water."
To determine whether your property service line is lead or galvanized, visit the Lead Service Line Replacement website at www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Projects-Programs-Initiatives/Lead-Safe-Lincoln.