CINCINNATI — Governor Mike DeWine visited Cincinnati on Wednesday to highlight a statewide effort to replace lead service lines and help provide safer drinking water for Ohio communities.
The initiative is part of H2Ohio, a state program focused on improving Ohio's water infrastructure. During the visit, Greater Cincinnati Water Works announced it had removed its 10,000th lead service line.
The announcement was made at Holy Family School, one of the schools where lead service lines have been replaced.
DeWine said H2Ohio has invested $9 million in lead service line replacement efforts, with an initial focus on schools and daycares because children can be particularly vulnerable to exposure to lead.
So far, approximately 200 lead service lines at schools and daycares across Ohio have been removed, including 65 in Cincinnati, according to state officials.
DeWine said the goal is to address the lines before they deteriorate and potentially affect drinking water.
“These lead pipes mostly are safe, but at some point, we just don't know when they do start to deteriorate,” DeWine said. “When they start to deteriorate, then you start having problems with the water, and again, these kids are the most susceptible.”
The Ohio EPA says approximately 16,000 lead service lines have been removed statewide since 2019, with another 30,000 currently in the process of being addressed.
Officials say the state has also identified and mapped lead service lines across Ohio, allowing communities to determine where replacement work is needed.
An Ohio EPA representative said the effort demonstrates the state's continued investment in water infrastructure.
“An additional 30,000 are now in process. We've also identified and mapped out all the lead lines across the state, so we know where we need to go,” DeWine said.
State officials say the next 30,000 lead service lines currently in process are expected to be completed within the next 10 years.
