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Columbus proposes LEAP pilot: $1 million in 2025 and zero‑percent, 99‑year mortgage to fund private lead‑line replacements
Summary
Division of Water regulatory manager Emily Eskridge outlined a Lead Elimination Assistance Program that lets homeowners select contractors for private‑side replacement with no upfront cost; DPU will apply a 0% 99‑year mortgage repayable on sale or transfer. The department set $1,000,000 for the 2025 pilot and is defining reimbursement caps.
Emily Eskridge, regulatory compliance manager with the Division of Water, told the Public Utilities & Sustainability Committee the city is launching a Lead Elimination Assistance Program (LEAP) to accelerate removal of private lead service lines and galvanized connectors.
Eskridge said LEAP is modeled on the city’s STEP septic program: customers enroll, select a contractor, and DPU pays the contractor upon completion while placing a 0% mortgage on the home. "This program really mirrors our STEP program...it allows customers to make this choice for themselves without any upfront cost to themselves," Eskridge said. The lien is structured as a 99‑year, 0% mortgage payable when the homeowner sells, transfers the property, or pays off the mortgage.
For 2025 the department has designated $1,000,000 toward the pilot. Eskridge said the department will establish a reimbursement cap designed to cover the average private‑side replacement cost; pilot data will inform final cap and the number of customers the pilot can serve. She described a roughly 10‑year timeline for removing lead and galvanized service lines citywide by 2040 while noting demand may spike early as residents learn about the program.
Eskridge said there is no income limit for LEAP enrollment and homeowners who face costs above the reimbursement cap may pay the difference themselves. She added DPU will use its outreach team and existing contractor agreements to promote participation and help homeowners enroll.
Council members asked whether the city will insure the mortgages (Eskridge said the STEP program did not, and they do not anticipate insurance for LEAP) and how the cap will be calculated (the pilot will estimate average replacement cost and set the cap accordingly). No formal action or vote took place at the hearing; the department will finalize pilot details and return to the committee with implementation specifics.
The committee moved on to refuse division code changes after questions.
