DC Water had replaced more than 12,000 lead service lines by summer 2026, including more than 3,100 in FY 2025, a rise of more than 40% on the previous year. Lead Free DC, launched in 2019, set an original target of removing all lead service lines in the District by 2030; DC Water's FY 2024 plan summary says completion will extend beyond 2030.
How big the job is
DC Water's own counts differ by measure. Its program page cites more than 42,000 lines with lead or galvanized-iron pipe. Its cost estimate adds about 9,000 brass lines identified in 2024. Its dashboard puts lead services at 41,157.
What it costs
The utility estimates the program at about US$1.8 billion: US$1.5 billion set in 2023, plus about US$300 million in 2024 for the brass lines. A full replacement cost about US$21,000 in 2024, and a private-side-only replacement US$7,200. DC Water estimates customers have saved US$33 million since 2019.
Who pays
The District allocated US$10 million in FY 2022, of which US$8.5 million went to DC Water for private-side work. Bills are rising too: the average residential bill published with the approved rates is US$155.88 a month in FY 2027, against US$147.16 in FY 2026.
The date to watch
Lead Free DC's original target for removing all lead service lines in the District is 2030, and DC Water's FY 2024 plan summary says completion will extend beyond it. What to watch is an updated Lead Free DC schedule.
How Lead Free DC sits beside the Clean Rivers tunnels and Potomac Interceptor work in DC Water's US$9.69 billion plan, and which 2027–2030 milestones matter most, are covered in the full report. The full report, Water Utility of the Future: DC Water, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the DC Water Utility Snapshot.