Axios Des Moines: Roughly 20,000 metro homes have lead water pipes that will cost upwards of $200 million to replace, according to estimates from Des Moines Water Works. The utility is spearheading the creation of a pilot program among metro governments to help families shoulder the replacement costs. Iowa has among the highest estimated rate of children — 76% of kids under 6 — with lead detected in their blood, according to a study published last year by JAMA Pediatrics.