Des Moines Water Works has launched a program to replace about 1,000 residential lead water service lines in the city of Des Moines, focusing the first phase of the effort on homes in a portion of Drake neighborhood.

The 400 homes in the replacement area – between 17th and 28th streets, south of University Avenue and north of Interstate 235 – were selected based on federally determined criteria from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The replacement of lead water service lines will be paid for with federal money from the State Revolving Fund. The Drake project is estimated to cost between $4 million and $4.8 million. Replacement of 1,000 lead water service lines will cost $12.1 million, according to a news release.

Water service lines are the one-half to one-inch underground pipes that carry water from a main into a residence or business. Between 1873 and 1940 in Des Moines, it was common to use lead pipes from the water main to the stop box, usually located near a sidewalk. The remainder of the line — from the stop box to the residence — was typically made of galvanized steel, Water Works officials have said.

After 1950, copper service lines replaced those made of lead. However, between 1940 and 1950, both copper and lead pipes were likely in use, officials have previously said.

In 2024, the federal Environmental Protection Agency unveiled final rules requiring public water utilities to identify and replace lead water service lines by 2037. Iowa is estimated to have over 100,000 lead service lines, 20,000 of which are in Des Moines.

Water from Des Moines Water Works is lead free, officials have said.

Eligible homeowners in the Drake area will be contacted by Des Moines Water Works about the lead pipe replacement program through a variety of methods including mailings, phone calls and emails. Information about the program will also be available at neighborhood meetings and other outreach events.

“It’s important that any property owner or tenant who receives a letter from Des Moines Water Works reads it because it will contain information about how to access their free service line replacement,” Amy Kahler, the utility’s CEO and general manager, said in a prepared statement.
Replacement of the water lines will begin in October and continue into 2026.

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