National Collaborative honors 16 lead pipe replacement leaders

The Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative recognized 16 people and programs in Washington, D.C., during the American Water Works Association’s annual convention, marking the group’s 10th anniversary. The awards highlight communities and leaders working to remove lead service lines, a key public-health issue with more than 4 million lines still connected to U.S. water systems.

Why it matters: - Lead service line replacement is a public health issue because there is no safe level of lead exposure. - Lead is especially harmful for young children, where exposure can affect brain development and lower IQ. - The U.S. EPA estimates more than 4 million lead service lines remain connected to water systems in the United States. - The recognition program is meant to spotlight communities and leaders that are removing lead from drinking water systems and reducing exposure risks.

What happened: - The Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative recognized 16 people and programs for excellence in lead service line replacement. - The ceremony took place in Washington, D.C., alongside the American Water Works Association’s annual convention, ACE. - The initiative is called “Honoring Excellence in LSL Replacement.” - The recognition event also marked the Collaborative’s 10th anniversary.

The details: - The Collaborative is a consortium of 28 national organizations focused on accelerating lead service line replacement. - The group provides how-to resources, elevates good practices and helps coordinate cross-sector collaboration. - The Collaborative launched after the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. - Awardees were recognized for technical efficiency, fiscal savvy, community engagement and equal access to programs and services. - The ceremony also honored people with longstanding leadership in lead service line replacement. - Outstanding Leadership in LSL Replacement went to EquiFlow Lead-Free Program in Wausau, Wisconsin; Denver Water’s Lead Reduction Program; and Lead Free DC. - Excellence in Community Engagement went to Grand Rapids Water System Lead Line Replacement Program; Lead Free Memphis; and the Lead Protection Program in Greeley, Colorado. - Cross-Sector Collaboration to Enhance Lead Service Line Replacement went to LeadCare Cook County. - Policy Innovation and Leadership went to Jersey Water Works Lead Service Line Implementation Workgroup. - Enabling Equal Access to Lead Service Line Replacement and Associated Jobs went to Lead Free St. Paul Regional Water Services. - Efficiency and Technical Innovation went to Milwaukee Water Works’ LSL Replacement Program. - Fiscal Savvy and Funding Innovation went to Trenton Water Works’ LSL Replacement Program and Wilmington Water Lead Reduction Program. - Public Health Champion went to Stephen Estes-Smargiassi, executive director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. - Community Ambassador went to Kareem Adeem, director of Newark’s Department of Water & Sewer Utilities. - Contractor/Consultant Extraordinaire went to Sandy Kutzing, senior vice president at CDM Smith. - Elected Leader went to Mayor Nathaniel George Booker of Maywood, Illinois. - The release included awardee quotes highlighting collaboration, transparency, funding, community engagement and public health goals. - Denver Water said more than 38,000 customer-owned lead service lines have been replaced at no direct cost to property owners since 2020 through its Lead Reduction Program. - Newark’s water utility said the city has political will to replace its more than 20,000 lead lines as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Between the lines: - The awards point to a broader shift from isolated utility work to coordinated local, state and national efforts. - The mix of winners suggests the Collaborative is rewarding not just pipe replacement totals, but also equity, financing and community trust. - The focus on programs that started voluntary replacement before legal requirements signals a preference for early action over compliance-only approaches.

What's next: - The Collaborative is expected to keep pushing best practices, cross-sector coordination and public recognition to speed future lead service line replacement. - Communities and utilities still face the challenge of replacing millions of remaining lead service lines nationwide. - The awardees’ examples may shape how other cities design funding, outreach and replacement programs.

The bottom line: - The recognition underscores that lead pipe replacement is now a national infrastructure and public-health race, not just a local utility task.