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Who pays to replace your lead service line? A guide to BIL, DWSRF, and utility programs

12 min read · updated 2026-04-10

$15B in federal funding is flowing to utilities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Here's how that money reaches your pipe — and what to do if it hasn't.

The short version

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), passed in 2021 and also called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), allocated $15 billion to replace lead service lines across the United States. That money is not handed to homeowners. It flows from the EPA to state Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (DWSRFs), then from states to individual utilities as low-interest loans, grants, and principal forgiveness. Utilities then use it to replace your line — usually at no direct cost to you, sometimes with a cost-share, and occasionally with a per-parcel fee.

Where the $15B actually lives

Source: EPA's published Fiscal Year allotment tables, available at epa.gov/dwcapacity/drinking-water-state-revolving-fund-dwsrf.

How the money moves

  1. Congress appropriates funds in each fiscal year's budget.
  2. EPA allots to each state based on a formula (population served, inventory counts, disadvantaged-community weighting).
  3. States publish an Intended Use Plan (IUP) each year listing exactly which utilities are getting BIL funds and for what amount. IUPs are public.
  4. Utilities apply, get approved, and sign financing agreements with the state. The money is usually a mix of principal forgiveness (i.e., a grant) and low-interest loan.
  5. Utilities let construction contracts and replace lines. Typically they replace clusters of lines on the same block at once to minimize mobilization cost.

Disadvantaged community targeting

BIL requires that at least 49% of LSLR funds flow to disadvantaged communities, as defined by each state. In practice most states define "disadvantaged" using median household income, unemployment rate, and cost burden relative to water rates. Some states — including Illinois, Michigan, and New Jersey — have pushed the set-aside higher than 49%. Check your state's IUP to see the exact definition.

Does it cover the private side?

This is the single most confusing question. The short answer: BIL funds can pay for full service line replacement — public and private side — as long as the utility treats both sides as a single project. EPA's 2023 guidance clarified this to resolve early ambiguity. Many utilities now offer 100% private-side coverage for income-qualified households, and free private-side replacement (or a modest cost-share) for everyone else when combined with the public side.

Watch out for partial replacement: replacing only the public side and leaving a lead private side in place. Partial replacements temporarily increase lead in drinking water (disturbance dislodges lead particles) and EPA/CDC strongly discourage them. Most well-run utilities will not do a partial unless the homeowner actively refuses the private-side offer.

How to find your utility's BIL allocation

  1. Look up your utility on LeadPipeLookup. The utility page shows BIL/IIJA funding received when we have state IUP data matched.
  2. Download your state's current Intended Use Plan (search "[your state] DWSRF IUP 2025" — each state's environmental agency publishes it).
  3. Search the IUP spreadsheet for your utility's PWSID. That line item lists the exact dollar amount, percentage principal forgiveness, and intended use (LSL replacement vs other).

If your utility has BIL money but hasn't scheduled your line

This happens. Utilities typically sequence replacements by neighborhood, age of pipe, disadvantaged-community priority, and whether a known lead line is at a school or daycare. If your known-lead line isn't scheduled within a reasonable window (2–4 years is normal for well-funded utilities), here's the escalation path:

  1. Call your utility's LSL replacement program. Ask for your line's priority rank and planned replacement year. A well-run utility should be able to give both.
  2. If that call doesn't produce a date, write a short letter — mail or email — to your utility's general manager or director, copy your local water board, and reference your LCRR notification rights.
  3. If you still get nowhere, contact your state's drinking water program (search "[your state] drinking water primacy agency"). Every state has one and has authority over utilities under federal delegation.
  4. Last-resort: your local elected official. Lead pipe replacement is politically actionable — state reps and city councillors regularly intervene when a constituent is stuck.

Can homeowners apply directly for funding?

Generally, no — BIL funds are for utilities, not individuals. But there are narrow exceptions:

The 10-year mandate changes everything

Under the LCRI finalized in October 2024, every utility must replace every known lead or galvanized-requiring-replacement service line within 10 years. That deadline — combined with $15B in federal money — is the single biggest driver of the replacement work you'll see over the next decade. Utilities that were dragging their feet are now on a visible schedule.

If your utility is financially constrained (mostly small rural systems with fewer than 3,300 customers), they can apply for an extended compliance schedule, but even those must justify the delay and commit to alternative public-health protections (corrosion control, free filters, blood lead screening partnerships).

Next steps for residents

This article links to primary sources (EPA, CDC, utility portals) throughout. If you find a broken link or a factual error, please email [email protected].