City of Columbus water officials on Tuesday described the Lead Safe Columbus program and how it will affect Hilltop and Franklinton residents, saying the utility expects to replace roughly 50,000 to 60,000 lead and galvanized water service lines across the city and will not charge homeowners for replacements performed during planned city construction.

The program is intended to remove lead and galvanized lines from the system ahead of a federal regulation requiring removal of all service lines by 2037. "We don't see detectable levels of lead in the drinking water," said Emily Eskridge, regulatory compliance manager for the Division of Water for the City of Columbus, adding, "We're replacing them because it's time to remove the risk from the system and it's time for us to move forward as part of a federal and a citywide program to take all the lead pipes out." Eskridge said the city also treats water with corrosion control and partners with Columbus Public Health to verify cases of elevated childhood blood lead levels.

Why it matters: removing lead and galvanized service lines addresses long-term infrastructure deterioration and reduces future failure risk, city staff said. Officials described a two-part ownership structure for service lines: the public side (from the main to the curb stop) is owned by the utility, while the private side (from the curb stop into the home) is the homeowner's responsibility. Because both sides can be different materials, the city must identify and, in many cases, replace both.

How the work will be done and who pays: Hannah Mullen, a City of Columbus staff member, said most replacements will be done "tacked on" to planned city construction such as water-main projects or street resurfacing. She said the work is free to homeowners "as part of the planned city construction" and emphasized that the city will not bill homeowners directly, place liens, or add a separate charge to water bills for replacements performed during those projects. Mullen said that if a private service line breaks before the city reaches a property, the homeowner is responsible for that repair.

Timing, notifications and scheduling: Mullen said there are about seven construction projects planned in Hilltop and Franklinton and urged residents to use an on-site QR code and take a photo of their meter to help the utility confirm private-side materials. Notification will include texts, emails, mail and door tags; contractors will contact individual property owners to schedule replacements. "If you haven't shared that picture with us, you're gonna hear from us quite a bit," Mullen said.

Work process and impacts: Project engineer Evan DeSanto said typical street-level construction takes about a month from start to finish on a given street, though daily production varies; some contractors can install 200 to 300 feet of main per day. During a main replacement the public-side lead or galvanized pipe will be replaced; private-side work typically occurs after the main is complete and requires a signed work agreement when the city will perform the private-side replacement. DeSanto said crews often pull a new copper line through the existing line from the basement to the street, and on good occasions that private-side work can take 2 to 3 hours, though the city gives a 6- to 8-hour shutoff as a worst-case estimate. "We like to give you a worst case scenario first," DeSanto said.

Meters, access and restoration: Staff described an optional program to relocate water meters from inside homes to an exterior, weatherproof box on private property to reduce future home entry. Contractors will need at least a 3-by-3-foot clear workspace and a safe path to interior meters when access is required; someone 18 or older must be present if crews need to enter. After replacement, crews will restore yards and concrete as weather permits; typical restoration visits happen about one to three weeks after replacement, though timing can vary by season.

Health and safety after replacement: The city will provide residents a flushing kit with instructions and a pitcher filter to use for about six months. Eskridge warned that replacing lines can temporarily disturb particulate and said proper flushing is effective at removing construction-related particles: "You will be asked to remove aerators on your home...We highly, highly, highly recommend you use your bathtubs. That's a really nice way to pull a lot of water really fast and get maximum velocity through your house." Follow-up sampling by the utility is available on request.

Other resident supports: Mullen noted an income-qualified 25% water-bill discount program and an additional discount for older residents; representatives from those programs were on site. The meeting included maps and tables where residents could check project boundaries and speak with staff in blue shirts to sign work agreements or get specific information.

What officials asked of residents: Staff requested homeowners confirm the private-side service-line material (by photo or in-person with city staff) and sign a work agreement if their private-side line is galvanized and the homeowner wants the city to replace it. "If you get down into your basement and lo and behold, it is galvanized, please sign a work agreement. It's free," Eskridge said.

The city encouraged residents to report unusual access conditions (for example, meters obstructed by furniture) before crews arrive so staff can plan safe access and avoid delays. Residents can also request post-replacement sampling or restoration follow-up if they have concerns.

The presentation closed with an invitation for more one-on-one conversations at staffed tables and maps for residents to check whether their property is in a project area.