GREENWOOD, Ind. — Indiana American Water announced Friday that it has invested nearly $97 million to replace or remove almost 30,000 lead service lines in its service areas across the state.
Indiana American Water was the first water utility in the state to file a plan for lead service line replacement following the passage of House Enrolled Act 1519 in 2017. HEA 1519 contained a process for water utilities to obtain authority to replace customer-owned lead service lines, even though the lines are not owned by the utility.
“We are proactively addressing the long-standing issue of lead service lines throughout the state in a way that expedites replacement and helps customers who are most impacted and often can least afford it,” said Indiana American Water President Matt Prine. “Since our plan was approved in 2018, 54% of the lead service lines in the communities we serve have already been replaced or removed from service.
There were as many as 55,000 lead service lines in use just a few years ago in its service areas across the state, with about two-thirds of those located in northwest Indiana.
Indiana American Water recently launched a lead education campaign with several resources for customers, including a step-by-step tutorial showing how to identify pipe material, answers to frequently asked questions, information on steps we take to reduce the potential for lead to leach from customer plumbing, and a video on how Indiana American Water is working to remove lead service lines across the state.
