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Columbus to lead removal of lead service lines; Upper Arlington to follow on project-specific replacements
Summary
Staff reported new EPA timelines for lead service-line identification and replacement, and said Columbus plans a city-led program that would also identify private-side material through meter replacement; contract communities including Upper Arlington must still replace service lines at city projects.
Upper Arlington city staff updated council June 9 on new federal guidance and local arrangements for removing lead service lines and explained how the city’s ongoing water projects will interact with that program.
City Engineer Scott summarized EPA guidance that requires communities to identify all service-line materials by November 2027 and to replace lead service lines by November 2037. Scott said Columbus — which supplies water to Upper Arlington under a contract arrangement — informed contract communities last week that Columbus plans to fund and lead the broader identification and replacement program. Columbus is expected to use its meter-replacement effort to identify private-side service-line materials and to coordinate public-side investigations.
For Upper Arlington this means two things: (1) Columbus will pursue a citywide identification and replacement program that may increase water rates to pay for the work, and (2) any waterline projects Upper Arlington undertakes will still require the city to replace lead or galvanized customer service lines that touch those project sites as part of the local construction contract.
Why it matters: the EPA’s timeline and Columbus’s announced approach set a decade-long schedule and potential city-by-city rate implications. Staff said Columbus will provide further details as its plan is finalized and that the city will coordinate outreach to schools and day cares and other high-priority locations while Columbus refines its schedule.
Next steps: staff will monitor Columbus’s program, expect more information as Columbus completes meter replacement and public-side identification work, and will incorporate required service-line replacements into planned local waterline projects where applicable.
