Program facts below are from the Lead Free SPRWS page, edited 15 September 2026 and read 23 October 2026.
The program in numbers
| Lead Free SPRWS | |
|---|---|
| Properties served | About 96,000 |
| With a lead service line | About 17,000 (18%) |
| Material unknown | About 4,500 (5%) |
| Replaced since 2022 | Nearly 4,500 |
| 2026 target | 2,100 lines |
| Plan length | 10 years; replacements expected to run until at least 2032 |
| Cost to owners in project zones | None |
| City funding | $16M in American Rescue Plan funds, committed 2022 and 2023 |
| Water rates | No immediate plans to raise them for the project |
| Side of the line | Owner |
|---|---|
| Main to property line | SPRWS |
| Property line to the meter inside | Property owner |
Check your line, then sign up
- Search your address on the service material map.
- If it shows lead and your address is eligible, submit the intent form in the map's pop-up. SPRWS contacts eligible addresses to schedule.
- If it shows "unknown", call Meter Operations, 651-266-6850, for a technician visit.
- Questions: 651-266-6820 or lead@stpaul.gov, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. SPRWS also offers free lead testing to customers with lead services.
SPRWS sets zones each year by funding, by timing with water main and street projects, and by the number of children under five and EPA socioeconomic data. It "cannot yet give a replacement date for every customer."
Wait, or hire a plumber?
| Situation | What the program allows |
|---|---|
| Your address is in a current zone | Sign the intent form and wait; no cost |
| Not in a zone, no problem with the line | You can wait; the plan covers every lead line |
| You want it done now, or the line has failed | Hire an outside contractor at your own expense |
| Paying for it | Saint Paul residents can spread the cost through a property-tax assessment program (2026 packet from SPRWS) |
| Already paid or assessed | No reimbursement; program money covers only work done under the program after March 2022 |
The Minnesota Department of Health adds that if you replace your side yourself, you notify the water system, which then replaces the public portion "in a timely manner" (MDH). Get the plumber's Minnesota license number and check it before you sign; 67.4% of Saint Paul plumbing firms in our file matched an active license. Ask which City permits the job needs and that they are pulled in the plumber's company name, and ask for the final inspection result.
What Saint Paul's plumbing permits show
| Measure | Saint Paul plumbing |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 9,237 |
| Firms | 463 |
| Usual filed value | $2,500 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value (3+ permits) | $2,000 to $4,800 |
| Reached final (permits a year or more old) | 76.8% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 126 |
| Firms with 10+ permits finishing under 70% | 30 of 135 |
| Busiest / quietest month | October / August |
The usual plumbing permit value here, $2,500, covers every kind of residential plumbing permit, small repairs included, so do not use it as a quote for a dug service line. The useful number is follow-through: 30 of 135 busy plumbing firms finished under 70% of their permits. Sort by finished share before you call.
Compare Saint Paul plumbers by finished share →
Permit rules and fees: Saint Paul plumbing permit. License check: Saint Paul contractor license lookup. Costs by firm: Saint Paul plumbing cost. Totals by year: Saint Paul permit statistics. Minneapolis runs its own program: Minneapolis lead service line replacement.
What this does not tell you
SPRWS figures cover its whole service area; our permit data is City of Saint Paul only. We cannot pick water service replacements out of the plumbing file, and we cannot tell which lines SPRWS crews or contractors replaced. The program's counts change each season; the SPRWS page is the current figure.
How we know this
Program figures, ownership split, priorities and the self-replacement rules are from the Lead Free SPRWS page (edited 15 September 2026); the public-portion note is from the Minnesota Department of Health page for residents (updated 18 January 2024); both read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Saint Paul plumbing permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026; finished share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Saint Paul building and trade permits (the City's old approved-permits file up to June 2025, and the City's PAULIE permit system since September 2025), with the contractor named on each permit, data through October 22, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does Saint Paul replace lead service lines for free?
Yes, inside the program's project zones. Lead Free SPRWS is a 10-year plan to replace every lead service line in the Saint Paul Regional Water Services area at no cost to property owners; it has replaced nearly 4,500 since 2022 and aims for 2,100 in 2026 (SPRWS, edited 15 September 2026).
- How do I find out if I have a lead water line in Saint Paul?
Search your address on the service line material map at stpaul.gov/servicematerialmap, or call 651-266-6820. If the map shows 'unknown', call Meter Operations at 651-266-6850 to have a technician identify it.
- Can I replace my lead service line myself in Saint Paul?
Yes, with an outside contractor at your own expense, at any time. SPRWS cannot reimburse past or assessed work, but Saint Paul residents can use an assessment program that collects the cost through property taxes; SPRWS publishes a 2026 lead replacement packet.
- Who owns the water line in Saint Paul?
SPRWS owns the public side, from the main in the street to the property line. The property owner owns the private side, from the property line to the meter inside the house.
- When will SPRWS replace my line?
SPRWS cannot yet give a date for every customer. It schedules zones each year by funding, coordination with water main and street work, the number of children under five and EPA socioeconomic data, and expects the work to run until at least 2032.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Cape Coral UEP: connecting to City water and sewer within 180 days, the septic abandonment, and hiring the plumber
- Chicago lead service line replacement: the free programs, the $5,000 permit fee waiver, and hiring a plumber
- Cincinnati lead service line replacement: GCWW pays the whole cost, the service agreement, and when to call your own plumber
- Columbus lead service line replacement: Lead-Safe Columbus, the work agreement, and the LEAP loan
For one city
- Lead Free SPRWS — Saint Paul Regional Water Services (edited 2026-09-15, accessed 2026-10-23)
- Lead service line replacement: information for residents — Minnesota Department of Health (updated 2024-01-18, accessed 2026-10-23)