Lead Service Line Replacement: Determining Pipe Material for Use in Low Income Communities

As of December 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released a new ruling that requires the replacement of lead pipes by the year 2024 across the United States. With this new ruling, communities are analyzing their distribution systems and finding pipes lined with asbestos and lead. Low-income communities have a need to replace pipes, but often lack the budget and resources to hire an engineering consultant to analyze which pipe material to use in the replacement process. To offer guidance to these low-income communities, a theoretical life cycle cost analysis, utilizing data for a small town in southern Virginia, was performed to determine the economic implications of different pipe materials when replacing lead pipes. Further consideration was also made for non-monetary factors, including resistance to rust and corrosion, flexibility of the material, joining methods, the ability to locate after installation, and inefficiencies within certain climates. Coupling the monetary and non-monetary findings, it was found that in the chosen location of this study, PEX piping would be an advantageous material to use when replacing lead service lines. Other communities, however, may consider other non-monetary factors leading to a more ideal material.