Lead Service Line Replacement Program

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The City of Bluffton has launched its Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Program, designed to ensure the safety and quality of its drinking water. Visit this page to stay connected to this important, ongoing program.

Important Dates:

  • February 5th, 2026 - Town Hall Discussion of Project Phase 1 (view recorded meeting)
  • February 9th, 2026 - Potholing Begins
  • April, 2026 - Lead Service Line Replacements Begin
  • November, 2026 - Phase 1 completion target date 

Project Overview

  1. Identification of Lead Service Lines
  2. Customer Notifications
  3. Replacement Process
  4. Water Testing

Lead was first regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Lead and Copper Rule (1991). Revisions to the rule occurred in 2021 and were finalized in 2024. The new Rule includes:

  • Development of a lead service line inventory (LSLI) that documents the pipe material of service lines on both the utility-owned (SOP) and customer-owned (COP) sides of the services.
  • Replacement of all lead service lines by 2037.

For Bluffton to comply with the federal mandate, it must follow the rule's updated guidelines. (You can read more about the health effects of lead here.)

Bluffton completed its LSLI and submitted it to the State on October 16, 2024. The inventory was compiled using a combination of historical document reviews, visual meter pit inspections, and "potholing" aka hydro excavating to expose service lines for visual inspections. For information on service lines at a specific property, please contact the Water Distribution Department.

2. Customer Notifications

Customers connected to the Bluffton Water Distribution System with services requiring replacement have received paper letters each year around November or December, alerting them to the need for service line replacement. They will continue to receive such letters each winter until the replacement has been made and recorded.

Bluffton has received grant and loan funding from the State to complete this project. The costs to repay the load are incorporated into its water rates.

No additional fees are required from customers to complete the service line replacement at their home if they participate in the City's program.

3. Lead Service Line Replacement Process

The City has procured a Contractor to oversee the Lead Service Line Replacements. For customers whose lines have yet to be clearly identified as needing replaced or not, the contractor will be performing "potholing" or hydro excavating work to verify pipe materials.

Once a service line has been confirmed as one needing to be replaced, impacted customers will receive letters in the mail notifying them that replacement work will soon begin in their area. Customers must complete a Right of Entry (ROE) Permission form to allow work to occur on their service and property.

The Contractor will schedule a time to perform the service line replacement with customers who have submitted their ROE Permission forms. During the replacement project, individual properties should be without water service for less than a day.

Because the service line replacement work will be performed on private property, customers who wish to participate at no additional cost in the City's Lead Service Line Replacement Program must provide permission to the City and its chosen contractor(s) to perform the replacement work by signing and submitting a Right of Entry Permission form.

Right of Entry Permission Forms:

Customers who wish to decline the City's program and complete service line replacement at their own expense must sign a letter stating as such.

Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Refusal Forms:

Bluffton's Lead Service Line Replacement Program will be completed in phases. Phase 1 will begin in what is referred to as Area 1, which includes the oldest part of the City. Locations were chosen based on the lead service line inventory, available funding, and avoidance of tearing up nearly-paved roads. There are approximately 475 service lines requiring replacement in this area. The City will replace as many service lines as possible in Phase 1 with its available funding.

Click on the image to launch an interactive online map.

Lead Service Line Replacement Area 1

4. Water Testing

After replacement work is complete, customers will be provided instructions to flush the water lines in their homes to remove any sediment that may have been deposited during the replacement.

Then, 3-6 months after the replacement work is complete, Bluffton will offer to test the lead levels in the water at the home. This test will be optional.

The Bluffton Water Department is focused on protecting the health of every household in our community and prides itself on delivering safe, reliable drinking water to every water customer. The Bluffton Water Department complies with all EPA and IDEM drinking water regulations and has not exceeded any of the average drinking water tests that have been performed over the past 30 years. Drinking water customers can view Bluffton's Annual Drinking Water Report, which can also be found on the Water Treatment Plant page.