Program Information

Lead Inventory and Replacement Process

In early 2023, Greeley Water launched the Lead Protection Program to identify the materials of both public- and customer-owned portions of every water service line in the city. The program has four main components:

1. Service Line Material Identification: Identify properties with service lines containing lead through historical records, inspections and potholing.
2. Lead Service Line Replacement: Replace all lead service lines at no cost to the homeowner.
3. Filter Program: Supply customers suspected of having a lead service line with a free water pitcher, filter, and replacement filters certified to remove lead until six months after replacement of the line or the line is verified as lead-free.

See the Spanish version of the above graphic

Program Schedule

Greeley Water is working on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis, focusing on high-risk neighborhoods first while coordinating with other planned construction activities across the city. We anticipate removing service lines containing lead by December 2026. See the graphic below for more information on the program schedule:

Water Service Lines

In older homes, lead was sometimes used as the material for the water service line pipes connecting older homes to the city’s water system. As water runs through lead service lines, the lead can dissolve or break off into tiny particles—ending up in drinking water. However, having a lead service line does not mean that lead is present in drinking water, as there are many factors that contribute to the release of lead.

Based on the best available information including the age of homes and when laws were enacted to ban lead piping, this graphic shows the possibility of a house in Greeley having a lead service line:

See the Spanish version of the above graphic

What is the History of Lead Service Lines in Greeley?

On the utility owned (public) portion of the service line, Water & Sewer records indicate that we have not installed lead service lines on the public side of the service line since prior to 1930. Most of these lead service lines have already been replaced as part of previous projects, but our investigations show that some remain.

On the customer-owned (private) portion of the service line, Water & Sewer has not previously kept records of the service line material. It was not until 1981 that Greeley adopted the International Plumbing Code that formally banned the use of lead in water service lines in city

State Revolving Fund

• Greeley’s Water and Sewer Department received approval for a $21 million state revolving fund loan to help the city locate and replace all remaining water service lines containing lead in Greeley. The approval includes $10 million in loan forgiveness, eliminating the need for a 1.1% water rate increase to fund the Lead Protection Program. The city seeks financial assistance for capital projects whenever possible to lessen the impact on Greeley’s ratepayers.
• State Revolving Funds Process