All figures below are approximate and move constantly — treat them as orders of magnitude, and your utility's own page as the source of truth.
The famous cases
- Newark, NJ — the proof it can be fast. After its 2019 crisis, Newark replaced roughly 23,000 lead lines in about three years, free to homeowners, by treating the whole job as one city-run construction project. It is now the model other programs are measured against.
- Chicago — the biggest backlog in America. Roughly 400,000 lead lines, more than any city, because Chicago required lead service pipes by code until the 1986 federal ban. Even under the 2027 rule its schedule stretches decades; waiting for the city is not a plan — filter and get in the queue.
- Denver — free and quietly effective. Denver Water replaces lines at no direct cost to homeowners and hands out certified filter pitchers until each block is done.
- Detroit, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, St. Louis — tens of thousands of lines each, with active programs that mix free replacement, cost-share, and long queues. Eligibility usually depends on your block's construction schedule.
How to check your own city in five minutes
- Search "[your utility name] lead service line map" — most large utilities now publish an address-lookup inventory map. Your address shows lead / non-lead / unknown.
- On the same site, look for "replacement program": who pays for the private side, and how to sign up.
- No map, no program? Call and ask the two questions directly — utilities must answer what their inventory says about your address. And read the notice they sent you.