Betanzo, E. W., and Spieght, V. (2024). Lead Service Line Replacement Costs and Strategies for Reducing Them. National Resources Defense Council. Submitted by NRDC as part of[...]

"This report was prepared to assist with evaluation of LSLR costs, for the purposes of developing Safe Drinking Water Act regulations and implementing local LSLR programs. This report analyzes the most recent AWWA and USEPA LSLR cost estimates, compares similarities and differences, and provides an additional literature review to further contextualize available data. This report's purpose is to understand current and reasonable cost ranges for LSLR at the unit scale. This report also presents independent construction cost estimates using data from RS Means, an industry standard construction cost tracking database. The results of this analysis provide the relative magnitude of individual line-item costs to identify major LSLR cost drivers, allowing for exploration of opportunities to reduce those costs. This cost analysis serves not only to inform policy makers, municipalities, and water systems, but also to allow community members to hold local decision makers accountable for LSLR projects so that funding is spent wisely and efficiently to complete the most LSLRs as quickly as possible. The information presented here is necessary to support efficient planning and procurement, and to ensure that public health protection is prioritized throughout the LSLR process. Historically, cost estimates for water distribution renewal needs have not included LSLR, making the cost of LSLR appear to be "extra" even though the service line is the final critical pipe that affects the quality of all water delivered to an individual home. Although replacing 10.5 million LSLs and GRRs will be a large task, LSLR represents a small percentage of overall water infrastructure replacement needs that Page 6 LSLR Costs and Strategies for Reducing Them Safe Water Engineering, LLC the utility sector has estimated as being in the multiple trillions of dollars (AWWA, 2013). LSLR costs represent an even smaller percentage of utilities' total budgetary needs when operating expenses are also considered (Value of Water Campaign, 2020). Adding LSLR to our water infrastructure needs does not represent the last, singular cost that makes water unaffordable - it is merely one of many costs necessary to continue providing safe drinking water in community water systems. According to previous estimates (Betanzo, 2022) adding the cost of replacing all LSLs to water distribution needs estimates results in a mere 3% increase in the national cost estimate for water main renewal. In contrast to most water infrastructure funding needs, the need to remove the health hazard of LSLs represents a one time, all at once cost. While service lines will need to be maintained and replaced in the future on a maintenance schedule, the need to remove this urgent health risk is a one-time cost." Please contact the EPA Docket Center, Public Reading Room to view this document. Address: 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Room 3334, Washington, DC 20004. Telephone: 202-566-1744. Fax: 202-566-9744. Email: [email protected].