Lead Line Grant Project
Service Line Replacement Project Background
The Erie Water Works maintains an effective corrosion control treatment program in full compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lead and Copper Rule. This treatment has kept Erie Water Work’s leading test results far below allowable levels. However, the water works Board of Directors and Administrative team believes that eliminating all potential sources of lead is the most effective way to protect our customers. In the period between 2003 and 2022, the employees of Erie Water Work’s have removed over 5,800 lead goosenecks from the water distribution system, investing over $18M.
Project Description
The Service Line Replacement Project will replace or abandon all remaining service connections that have lead goosenecks in the water distribution system and will also replace many private water service lines if they consist of wrought iron or galvanized pipe. Since 2021, staff applied for and were awarded $49,210,000 in federal grants and low interest loans for the following phases of lead gooseneck removal:
- Phase 3 – $4.1 million grant and $1.9 million loan
- Phase 4 – $14.1 million grant and $3.9 million loan
- Phase 5 – $238,205 grant and $471,795 loan
Phase 1-5 will remove all 7,400 water service connections that have lead goosenecks throughout the City of Erie, and a small portion of Wesleyville and Lawrence Park. The galvanized lines downstream must also be replaced.
At the end of 2025, over 6,000 lead goosenecks have been removed and over 3,000 galvanized service lines have been replaced!
Although no longer permitted and not installed within the water distribution system since the mid-1940’s, lead goosenecks are one to two feet sections of pipe that were used to connect wrought iron service lines to older cast-iron water mains. Please refer to the graphic shown here which illustrates what a water service connection (publicly owned by Erie Water Works) and water service line (privately owned by the property owner) looks like.
In 2025, staff applied for and were awarded $31,434,701 in federal grants and low interest loans for four phases of Galvanized Requiring Replacement (GRR) Projects to remove GRR’s that were associated with the 5,800 gooseneck previously removed by the waterworks. Details are as follows:
- GRR 1 – $2.98 million grant and $2.95 million loan (work to begin in 2026)
- GRR 2 – $8.58 million grant and $415,000 loan (work to begin in 2026)
- GRR 3 – $3.48 million grant and $3 million loan (work to begin in 2026)
- GRR 4 – $9.63 million grant and $370,000 loan (work to begin in 2026)
Customer Information
The links below include a Letter to Customers providing information about the project and answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions. These documents are also mailed to customers within the project area. Customers and property owners may have questions that are not addressed by these documents, and as such, we encourage you to reach out to Erie Water Works representatives as identified in the Contact Us section below.
Temporary Construction Easement Agreement
If the public water service connection is to be replaced as part of the project, and if at the same time your private water service line consists of wrought iron or galvanized pipe it will also be replaced into the structure up to and including a new shut off valve, water meter, dual check backflow preventer, and thermal expansion tank. If your private water service line is to be replaced, it will also be necessary to grant Erie Water Works a temporary easement for the duration of the project. The temporary easement can be granted by following the link below and filling out the necessary information. A paper copy can also be provided if you are unable to utilize the electronic form in the link below. Please contact Erie Water Works as described in the Contact Us section to obtain a paper copy of the easement agreement.
Contact Us
You may email the Erie Water Works regarding the lead line grant project by following the link below. You may also call our team at 814.870.8000 ext. 280 to leave a message with inquiries specific to the lead line grant project, or ext. 71 for assistance during normal business hours.
Register for Project Updates
To help Erie Water Works most effectively communicate important details during the project, please register and provide your preferred contact information at Smart911.com Opt-in Portal.
Erie Water Works may utilize this system to call, email, or text relevant information as to when the work will impact you, or to communicate other important information about construction projects. Your contact information will be held in confidence and not shared with any other entity.
Additional Information
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This document from the American Water Works Association (AWWA) answers many questions specific to health risks associated with lead exposure.
FAQs about Lead -
This helpful AWWA graphic shows where lead could be located within a building or home.
Lead and your Water -
This AWWA pamphlet provides general information about lead in plumbing and how to identify whether you have lead inside your home or business.
Lead: Keep your Water Safe
Flushing Information
The following information is provided to help customers understand the best practices to flush inside plumbing after the new water service connections are installed and joined to the customers’ existing water service lines.
Service Line Inventory
Disclaimer: The web map application and map layers provided by the Erie Water Works are based on historical data and records, information acquired during inspections, information directly provided by customers, or some combination of these sources. Erie Water Works does not guarantee the accuracy of these records and maps, which shall be used for the sole purpose of providing property owners and residents with the best available data regarding water service lines, and not for any commercial, legal, or other use. These records will be updated as additional information is identified. Erie Water Works reserves the right to alter, amend or terminate at any time the display of these maps and records.