More and more properties in Lincoln are entering the pipeline for free water line replacements as part of the city’s Lead Safe Lincoln initiative.
Lincoln Transportation and Utilities (LTU) announced Thursday that, since the work began in 2024, crews have replaced 547 lead and galvanized water service lines. The initiative aims to assess and replace nearly 5,000 lead service lines in Lincoln by 2035.
The city has been making steady progress on the effort since its inception. In August 2025, the city said it had replaced 263 service lines with safe copper pipes at no cost to property owners. That means 284 replacements have taken place in the last 30 weeks—an average of about 9.5 replacements per week.
“Through this initiative, the City is proactively preventing and minimizing the risk of lead exposure to our community’s children and families, while improving the health and safety of the homes in which they live,” said LTU Director Liz Elliott during a Thursday press conference.
In the summer of 2026, replacement work is set to begin in the Clinton, Hawley and Capitol View neighborhoods. Crews will also continue scheduling and conducting replacements in portions of the Near South, South Salt Creek, Everett and Irvingdale neighborhoods.
Residents in these areas still needing a service line replacement are asked to schedule that work at lincoln.ne.gov/LeadSafe.
The city says it finished service line replacements for all property owners who signed up in the North Bottoms, Woods Park, Hawley and portions of the Near South neighborhoods. In areas where replacements have been completed, 96% of eligible homeowners chose to participate.
“Every replacement moves us closer to a lead-free Lincoln, ensuring safe, reliable drinking water for decades to come,” Elliott said.
The voluntary program provides property owners with a new water service line at no cost, a $100 water bill credit to assist with minor cosmetic repairs, and a two-year warranty. A City-contracted plumbing company completes the replacement work.
The initiative was spurred, in part, by a multi-year program made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—signed by President Joe Biden in 2021—which provided $32.6 million in federal loan funding to this program. The total cost of the program in Lincoln is estimated at $55 million.
Homes and businesses constructed primarily before the 1950s are considered “at risk” for lead contamination. For more information and to determine whether your property’s service line is lead or galvanized, visit lincoln.ne.gov/LeadSafe.