Toledo authorizes up to $6 million for lead-service-line replacement work

Toledo has authorized up to $6 million in zero-interest financing to continue replacing lead and galvanized water service lines, while a separate Ohio EPA-reviewed phase is estimated at $2.027 million and covers approximately 280 lead service lines.

City Council approved Ordinance O-279-26 as an emergency measure on June 23, 2026, with an 11-0 vote. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz approved the ordinance on June 24.

What Toledo approved

The ordinance authorizes the mayor to apply for and enter into zero-interest agreements with the Water Supply Revolving Loan Account, Ohio EPA and the Ohio Water Development Authority. It permits the city to accept, appropriate and spend up to $6 million in loan proceeds for Toledo’s Lead Service Line Replacement Project.

The measure separately authorizes up to $300,000 for loan application fees, administrative expenses and miscellaneous project costs. The $6 million figure is a maximum financing authorization. It is not the stated cost of the current 280-line phase, and the ordinance does not mean the entire amount has already been spent.

The current phase is estimated at $2.027 million

In a May 28, 2026 limited environmental review and Finding of No Significant Impact, Ohio EPA estimated the loan amount for the reviewed phase at $2.027 million. The document says the work is expected to replace approximately 280 lead service lines in Toledo.

The Ohio EPA review says construction was scheduled to begin in summer 2026 and last approximately seven months. It describes the financing as a 20-year, 0% loan, with Toledo eligible for partial principal forgiveness. Exact street-by-street schedules may change as the city and contractors finalize the work.

What construction may mean for residents

The project includes replacement on both the public and private sides of service connections. That can mean excavation in streets, sidewalks, yards or other areas near a property.

Ohio EPA says work is expected to occur from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and may require temporary traffic controls, erosion-control measures, restoration of affected areas and disposal of excavated material. Water service will be temporarily shut off during pipe replacement. The city says it will communicate temporary interruptions to affected customers.

Residents should not assume that every property with a galvanized or unknown service line is part of this specific phase. Toledo tracks lead, galvanized and unknown materials separately, and property eligibility and scheduling depend on program records and project planning.

Customer-side lead-line replacement has no cost to property owners

Toledo’s lead-line replacement program says identified customer-side lead service lines are replaced at no cost to the property owner. The city says its contractor handles excavation and restoration for customer-side work.

The city also says it sends a notification letter 45 days before a scheduled lead-line replacement. Ohio EPA’s project review says affected residents and businesses will receive advance information about construction dates and property-access requirements, and that street signs will be posted. Those notices—not the general project timetable—will provide the most specific information for an address.

What to do after replacement

Toledo advises residents to flush their plumbing after replacement. The city says residents should let cold water run from all taps for 30 minutes and use a lead-certified filter provided by the city when the private-side service line is not copper.

For properties with galvanized or lead customer-side lines, the city may provide a sample bottle and instructions for follow-up testing three to six months after replacement. Toledo’s service-line inventory map can help residents review the material recorded for an address.

Replacing a service line does not remove every possible source of lead inside an older home. Toledo notes that homes built before 1986 may contain lead solder in interior plumbing, which requires separate attention.

The financing authorization supports Toledo’s multiyear effort to remove lead service lines. For residents, the next practical milestones are an address-specific notice, construction scheduling and preparation for possible excavation, traffic controls, restoration work and temporary water interruptions.

Sources

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