Minneapolis to begin replacing lead water infrastructure for property owners

An effort to remove lead water infrastructure from Minneapolis is underway.

According to the city officials, new state and federal funding have allowed them to begin helping owners in replacing their water service lines.

This week, residents who need replacements should expect to get a letter in the mail that details what material the water line is made from and what can be done to minimize lead exposure.

The city says they are proactively replacing lead service lines and are expecting to use grant funding to replace 400 lead service lines, with a planned 1,000 replacements for 2025.

However, the city says their replacement program isn’t an “opt-in,” stating state legislation requires them to prioritize replacement for areas with lower income residents and other disadvantaged communities, areas with children with elevated blood lead levels and coordinating the replacement of lead services with other capital improvement projects.

The city said they also won’t replace the service line without explicit permission from property owners, since the lines aren’t owned by the city.

Property owners whose replacement is in the planned area for 2025 should expect a letter later this year or at the start of 2025 from the city requesting access for replacement. Anyone who gets the request is encouraged to complete, sign and return the form.

The city hopes to have all lead service lines gone by 2037.