Iowa American Water has replaced 1,800 lead service lines in past three years

Iowa American Water wants to know what your water service line is made of.

The water utility, which serves the Iowa Quad-Cities and Clinton, is asking the public for help in identifying lead service lines to comply with federal rules to replace lead and unidentified service lines.

Service lines are the underground pipe that connects the utility's water main to the interior plumbing in a building - one part of the process from getting drinking water from the water treatment plant to the taps of homes and businesses.

Depending on the year a home or building was built, common service line materials are copper, plastic, galvanized steel, iron or lead.

In 1986, Congress banned the use of lead pipes for new buildings because of the health risks, especially in children, tied to lead exposure. Lead can leach into drinking water from corroded pipes. In 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a new rule requiring water utilities to treat water to control corrosion and reduce lead exposure.

Then, in 2021, the EPA published new rules requiring water suppliers to create and publish an inventory of all service lines and whether they're made of lead. Iowa American published its first inventory in 2024.

Then, the EPA made new rules requiring water utilities to complete a final inventory by November 2027. If service lines are identified as lead, the water utility will have to replace them. Lines with unknown material will be assumed to be lead and replaced over the course of the next 10 years.

That's why Iowa American Water is sending inspectors into the field and encouraging people to self-report online to try to determine just how many of Iowa Quad-Cities' residents' service lines are made of lead, Iowa American Water Vice President of Operations Tony Loete told a group at a recent Davenport alderman's ward meeting.

"It's in our best interest, and in our customers' best interest, to get the most precise inventory that we can by November of 2027," Loete said.

Of 61,869 total service lines in the Iowa Quad-Cities serviced by Iowa American Water, 8,883 are lead and 7,851 are unknown. The remaining 45,135 are non-lead, according to a 2025 lead service line filing to the Iowa Utilities Commission.

Customers can do a self-inspection and submit information online. A map is available of known lead service lines on Iowa American Water's website. Customers can also request someone to come to their property and do an inspection if they are unsure of their pipe material, or they can contact customer service at Iowa American Water at 1-866-641-2108.

Iowa American is sending a team of canvassers into neighborhoods to knock on doors and leave leaflets in an attempt to survey people's service lines. Day-to-day, between eight and 10 canvassers are on the streets, Loete said.

As the survey continues, Iowa American is simultaneously working to replace those lead service lines. The recent EPA rules require the water utility to foot the costs of replacement. Loete said the utility will eventually apply for a rate increase with the Iowa Utility Commission to pay for the increased capital costs.

Earlier this year, part of East Locust Street, for example, was closed to motorists because of Iowa American Water replacing lead service lines.

Between 2022 and 2025, Iowa American Water replaced 1,836 lead lines, according to a 2025 lead service line filing with the Iowa Utilities Commission. Iowa American plans to replace another 1,000 lead service lines in 2026 and another 1,000 in 2027.

Lead exposure in children can cause behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, and anemia. There's no known safe amount of lead exposure for children, according to the EPA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In adults, lead can cause cardiovascular effects, such as increased blood pressure and incidence of hypertension, decreased kidney function and reproductive problems.

Iowa American Water says the water delivered to customers meets or surpasses all state and federal drinking water standards and uses corrosion control treatment to help reduce the potential for lead to leach from pipes into drinking water.

"Let me make sure we're very clear on this - the water is safe," Iowa American Water President Brad Nielsen said. "We treat that with an orthophosphate that's a corrosion inhibitor, and we're required to treat that. However, even though the water is safe, we believe the presence of lead lines, we need to remove that potential hazard regardless."

Nielsen said Iowa American Water is making progress on a big task to replace lead service lines.

"It's a tall task," Nielsen said. "And I think generally that is across any water system that is trying to take on this effort. That said, we've been at it a little bit longer than some other water systems and I think we now have a good process about identifying the lines, making sure we're proactive in the replacements where we can, and maximize efficiencies where we can."

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 1:42 PM.