Nationwide, lead service lines connect an estimated 6.1 million or more homes and businesses to community drinking water mains. The Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative is a joint effort of 28 national public health, water utility, environmental, labor, consumer, housing, and state and local governmental organizations to accelerate full removal of the lead pipes providing drinking water to millions of American homes.

In January 2017, the Collaborative released an online toolkit to help communities voluntarily develop and implement lead service line (LSL) removal programs. ​The Collaborative’s toolkit includes a roadmap for getting started, suggested practices to identify and remove LSLs in a safe, equitable, and cost-effective manner, policies to consider to support local efforts, a webinar series, and links to additional resources that may be helpful when developing local programs. 

The work of the LSL Replacement collaborative is grounded in the following principles:
  • Removal of lead service lines in contact with drinking water provides an opportunity to significantly reduce the risk of exposure to lead in drinking water.
  • LSL replacement initiatives must be designed to ensure residents are protected during and after the removal and that the work is done in a cost effective manner.
  • LSL replacement initiatives should address barriers to participation so that consumers served by LSLs can benefit equitably, regardless of income, race or ethnicity.
  • A collaborative, community-based approach, built on contributions from residents, health officers, utilities, community leaders, local elected officials, can help provide the strong foundation needed for successful action.
  • Innovative models are needed to help communities find the tools, strategies and resources needed to replace LSLs based on the latest science and current best practices.
  • By providing models for LSL replacement, it is possible to advance support for initiatives at all levels of government and in different types of communities.
  • Successful LSL replacement initiatives will take careful planning and time.
  • This effort is focused on mechanisms to support local action not on EPA’s efforts to revise the Lead and Copper Rule.  

The Collaborative is always seeking feedback on its toolkit, particularly from communities who are engaged or interested in LSL replacement initiatives. 
Download a brochure with more information on the Collaborative:
lslrcbrochure_English.pdf
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lslrcbrochure_Spanish.pdf
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Download an overview document about the Collaborative.
lslr_collaborative_overview.pdf
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Accelerating Voluntary LSL Replacement Programs

The focus of the Collaborative is to encourage communities around the country to develop and begin implementing plans for full replacement of lead service lines.  This can start with a simple conversation about the current situation in a community – What is known about where lead materials are in contact with drinking water? What plans for replacement already exist? What issues need to be addressed and who should be involved in planning a full LSL replacement program? In other situations, local elected officials, the water utility, and other community leaders may already have an LSL replacement program or have begun the planning process and may have specific technical, policy, or funding questions. 
 
Developing and implementing an effective LSL replacement program represents a significant undertaking by a utility and a community. It takes leadership and sustained effort. The Collaborative is available to help communities start a conversation and to connect people at any stage of the process to others who have relevant expertise. 
​Looking for a place to start the conversation?  Fill out this survey to get connected in your community.

Members

The current members of the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative are (*Steering Committee members): 
  • American Public Health Association
  • American Water Works Association*
  • Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies
  • Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
  • Blue Green Alliance
  • Children’s Environmental Health Network*
  • Clean Water Action*
  • Environmental Defense Fund*
  • Environmental Policy Innovation Center
  • Green and Healthy Homes Initiative
  • Justice and Sustainability Associates
  • Learning Disabilities Association of America
  • National Center for Healthy Housing​
  • National Association of County and City Health Officials​
  • ​National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates
  • National Association of Water Companies
  • National Conference of State Legislatures
  • National Environmental Health Association
  • ​National League of Cities
  • National Rural Water Association
  • Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Northeast Midwest Institute
  • RESOLVE*
  • ​River Network
  • Rural Community Assistance Partnership
  • Trust for America’s Health
  • United Parents Against Lead
  • Water Research Foundation
More information can be found on the Collaborative’s website or by contacting a member of the Steering Committee:

Steve Via, American Water Works Association, svia@awwa.org
Kristie Trousdale, Children’s Environmental Health Network, kristiet@cehn.org
Lynn Thorp, Clean Water Action, lthorp@cleanwater.org
Tom Neltner, Environmental Defense Fund, tneltner@edf.org
Mason Hines, RESOLVE, mhines@resolve.org 
Lead service line replacement is complicated and practices may evolve with new information. The Collaborative will continually update its resources to reflect any changes. While all original material has been vetted through the Collaborative, references to external documents and websites do not constitute an endorsement by the Collaborative or any of its members. 

Please direct any comments on these tools and resources to feedback.
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​​The Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative encourages ongoing feedback on how to improve these tools and resources. Please provide feedback.