Priority 4
Involve your community
Increase participation by engaging with your community in dialogue and decision-making
Residents deserve to know what their risk of lead exposure in drinking water is and to fully understand what will be done to tackle this problem in their neighborhood. Without transparency and buy-in from residents, utility efforts to eliminate lead service lines will not be achieved. Public education can help build community trust, increase participation rates in the program, and allow residents to make informed decisions.
Ensure lead service lines data and information are publicly available
Ensure lead service lines data and information are publicly available and easy to access. Some ways you can increase transparency are:
Press statements
Press statements and sharing information with local new organizations can help increase visibility of your replacement efforts.
Social media campaigns
Social media campaigns are particularly effective in raising community awareness, as social media is where many residents receive news about their community.
Public health campaigns
Public health can build community trust in the program, raise awareness about the impacts of lead in drinking water and inform residents of what they can do to reduce their risk of exposure. This information allows residents to:
- Understand the impacts of lead in drinking water and other legacy sources of lead (e.g. leaded paint, contaminated soils)
- Learn about how they can get tested for lead in their blood
- Take appropriate steps to reduce possible lead exposure, for example, by learning how to use point of use filters appropriately
Interactive maps
Interactive maps showing where lead service lines are present are a powerful tool to make information readily accessible to residents.This information allows residents to:
- Better understand their risk of being exposed to lead in drinking water
- Make decisions when renting or purchasing a new home
- Advocate for utilities to take action and replace lead service lines
Note: If your community includes >50,000 people, the water utility was required to make address-specific information on the location of lead service lines publicly available in October 2024 under the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions.
Require sellers and landlords to disclose lead pipes
Require sellers and landlords to disclose lead pipes or require confirmation that the service line is not made of lead during real estate and rental transactions to empower buyers and renters to make informed decisions and facilitate customer engagement.
Communicate program expectations and project timelines
Communicate program expectations and project timelines so residents are informed about the steps and activities involved in the process, and when these are anticipated to occur. This information could be summarized in visually appealing timelines or Gantt charts. Some key questions your residents will likely have include:
- If and when will the City Council or Town Board meet to discuss and vote on the program?
- How much has the city or town budgeted for this program?
- How long will their water be shut off and other services disrupted?
- How will excavation and construction activities impact their yard and landscaping and how will it be restored?
- How frequently should they expect the utility to visit their home?
- Who is paying for the replacement?
- Will service line replacement eliminate the risk of lead?
New Jersey Waterworks Disclosure of Information of Lead in Drinking Water in Real Estate Transactions
The Mission Unleaded website launched by Ohio’s Marion County Health Department informs the public of potential sources of lead and what they can do if exposed.
Examples of local legislation requiring disclosure of lead service lines:
- Malden, MA requires that sellers and landlords disclose the presence of lead service lines
- Philadelphia, PA requires landlords to disclose to tenants the presence of any known lead service lines and provide a pamphlet outlining ways to reduce the risk of lead exposure
- Illinois requires home sellers to disclose unsafe conditions relating to the presence of lead pipes
- New Jersey requires property condition disclosure statements to include a question concerning the presence of lead plumbing in residential properties
EDF Tool: Transparency in action: Map of public lead service line replacement programs
EDF Blog: New study: Homebuyers and renters take action when told they may have a lead service line
AWWA Water Science: Using online tools to publicize lead service lines
EPIC Blog: A policy role cities can play in replacing lead pipes faster and equitably
Key Action 2/3
Seek input from the community early and often
Community engagement is a critical element of any public health effort, including lead pipe replacement programs. Seeking input from your community early in the process will help you design an effective program that fits your communities’ needs and avoid unintended negative impacts.
Involve the community as a decision-making partner early in the process
Involve the community as a decision-making partner early in the process to build trust and enable flexibility to address raised challenges and needs. Some ways you can engage with the community are:
- Contract with community-based organizations to allow you to better understand your community’s needs and more effectively reach those who are disproportionately impacted, ensuring that all voices are heard and all residents benefit. Equity should be the cornerstone of any replacement program (see Build a robust workforce).
- Create a community advisory committee to help you increase community awareness and engagement with the lead service line replacement program. These partners can help reach more people in more places and in their preferred language in a culturally responsive manner.
Communicate often and provide updates
Communicate often and provide updates about your plan to address the risks of lead service lines and on program updates. Increased transparency reassures residents by allowing them to see how much progress is being made and increases accountability.
Welcome feedback
Welcome feedback by making space for your community to ask questions, raise concerns, and get the information they need to make decisions. Active listening will provide valuable information on what is and is not working in your program.
Celebrate success with your community partners
Celebrate success with your community partners to build a stronger relationship with your community, not only by sharing successes but also by acknowledging the value of their contributions throughout the process.
Example of community engagement strategies
- Denver Water has partnered with trusted community organizations to engage and share information about their Lead Reduction Program
- Junction Coalition in Toledo, OH has served to help provide the public perspective and door canvassing alongside the water utility
- In Benton Harbor, Michigan, a community-based organization hosted a radio show on the city’s efforts to replace lead pipes.Read More Here
Examples of community advisory committees
- Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority established the Community Lead Response Advisory Committee to best help serve customers during the lead service line replacement process
- Milwaukee Coalition on Lead Emergency (COLE) has been active in advising the city on a variety of issues related to lead service line replacement, including the city’s equity plan
Key Action 3/3
Bridge gaps between government and the community with effective, accessible outreach
Effectively informing residents on the extent of the problem in your community and your plan to address it is essential to gain trust and access to people’s homes to remove lead service lines. This may require adopting a variety of outreach strategies to ensure your message reaches residents of different ages and with diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.
Be available to answer questions.
It is important for residents to know where they can go to find the information and help they may need to build trust in your lead service line replacement program. Some resources you may consider are:
- Websites or online portals
- Help desks
- Hotlines
Develop a variety of engaging outreach materials
Develop a variety of engaging outreach materials that can be distributed through various channels to increase information accessibility. Knowing your community’s demographics and where they tend to get information will help you develop the right tools. Ensuring that you keep your messaging short, simple, and clear can go a long way to increase community engagement. Some examples of outreach materials include:
- Door-to-door campaigning
- Door-hangers
- QR codes and flyers
- Websites, ensuring that they are optimized for tablet, computer, and mobile use
- Public outreach in spaces like schools, stores, and farmers markets
- Billboards
Provide information in multiple languages
Provide information in multiple languages if you have a larger makeup of residents that speak a language other than English.
Examples of information accessibility
- Pittsburgh Water, PA has a Lead Help Desk with a phone number and email address which customers contact to voice questions and concerns
Examples of door-knocking campaigns
- Youngston, OH Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan went door to door talking to residents about lead service line replacement
- Americorps volunteers in Lancaster, PA support efforts to collect inventory information
- Mayor Montello along with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students went door-to-door to canvass in Troy, NY
- College students went door-to-door to support the service line inventory in Port Byron, IL
Sample outreach materials and activities (including those in multiple languages):
- Newark, NJ video on the city’s efforts to replace all lead service lines
- Greater Cincinnati Water Works factsheet explaining their lead service line program in Spanish
- Denver Water website on their Lead Reduction Program in Spanish and factsheet on activities after lead service line replacement in English and Spanish
- Chelsea, MA video on identifying your lead service line