Lead Awareness

Protecting public health is at the core of what we do at Louisville Water Company. In fact, Louisville’s drinking water is rated as one of the highest in the United States.

Louisville Water replaced all its known lead service lines. However, older homes may have a privately owned lead or galvanized line that connects to Louisville Water lines.

As part of maintaining excellent water quality, Louisville Water implements corrosion control strategies to maintain high quality water as it travels through pipes. Louisville Water’s scientists also conduct over 200 tests a day to ensure Louisville Pure Tap® is safe.

Until 1950, it was common to install lead and galvanized service lines. Over the last 50 years, Louisville Water spent over $50 million to remove approximately 74,000 lead service lines that were installed between 1860 and 1936 (lead was used again during World War II because of a shortage of copper).

While replacing the publicly-owned portion of service lines has been our mission, there are privately-owned lead and galvanized service lines that remain. Now we want to help you determine if there’s a lead or galvanized line on your property.

Importance of Minimizing Risks

Lead is a toxic metal that affects multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children. The greatest exposure to lead is from swallowing paint chips containing lead or breathing in lead paint dust. Ingestion can cause health concerns for people of all ages, particularly pregnant women, infants, and young children. In children, low exposure levels are linked to learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and other issues.

Louisville’s drinking water does not contain lead when it leaves the treatment plants and meets all Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for lead under the Lead and Copper Rule. Lead is rarely found in source water. However, water can pick up lead particles in private service lines and fixtures containing lead (i.e. water pipes, faucets, and plumbing).

What’s the Lead and Copper Rule?

With the Lead and Copper Rule, sampling occurs at the customer’s tap in sites with known lead and galvanized service lines or copper with lead solder. Louisville Water’s results are below the EPA Action Level. More detailed information about the overall water quality of Louisville’s drinking water may be found in the Annual Water Quality Report.

What can you do?

Get to know more about your private side lines.

Older homes (those typically built before 1950) may have lead or galvanized service lines on the customer’s property that connect to Louisville Water’s lines.

Participate in our Private Outdoor Lead Service Line Replacement Program.

If you have a lead or galvanized service line, we want to help! Louisville Water will pay to replace it free of charge.

If you’d like to take advantage of the replacement program, submit this form or contact us at (502) 569-0898 or via email at leadproject@louisvillewater.com and someone from Louisville Water will follow up with you.